Study of the effect of the cycles number of Successive Ionic Layers Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) on the cadmium sulfide quantum dots sensitized solar cells efficiency.

Abstract

This paper deals with the study of the effect of the number of adsorption cycles and the interaction of Successive Ionic Layers Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) on the properties of cadmium sulfide quantum dots and solar cells prepared from them. The photoelectrode was prepared from glass slides with a layer of fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO). A solid layer of titanium oxide was applied by spin coating and a porous layer of nanoporous titanium oxide by doctor blade, and then the quantum dots were placed by adsorption and interaction of successive ionic layers. The counter electrode was prepared from copper monosulfide on brass (Cu-Zn) substrate. Finally, the solar cell was assembled by sandwich method using a polysulfide conductive electrolyte.

Cadmium sulfide quantum dots were prepared for SILAR cycle counting (8,12,16,20) and then optically characterized by UV–VIS absorption spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy.

Solar cells were prepared from these electrodes, and their characteristic curves J(V) were measured using a halogen lamp and a dedicated measuring circuit. The best performing cells were those corresponding to 16 cycles, where the short-circuit current density was 11.1 mA/cm2, the open circuit voltage was 364 mV, and the energy conversion efficiency was 1.7%.