Characteristics of Electron Transport Study of Composited Graphene-Zinc Oxide Thin Film Photoanode for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Abstract:

Graphene-Zinc Oxide (Gr-ZnO) nanocomposites films were successfully synthesized via facile electrodeposition method in an aqueous solution under Gr concentration conditions. Gr, as a highly conductive carbon, acts as an anchor for ZnO nanosheets and plays a substantial role in controlling the degree of dispersion of ZnO nanosheets onto indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) substrate to form Gr-ZnO nanocomposite. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analysis of Gr-ZnO nanocomposite samples confirmed that the presence of ZnO nanosheets with a high degree of dispersity and crystallinity which is well linked to the thin layer of Gr nanoparticle on ITO substrate. The surface roughness of the films found increased to ~270 nm on Gr-ZnO as compared to Gr ~44 nm and ZnO ~3 nm. Further, the x-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD) analysis showed the result is in good agreement with Raman spectroscopy study. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) of Gr-ZnO nanocomposite revealed that the effect of electron-hole recombination process was increased and the presence of Gr in ZnO photoanode provides the fastest redox reaction and hence offers the fastest electron transfer in photoanode.

• Periodical: Solid State Phenomena (Volume 307)
• Pages: 185-191
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/SSP.307.185
• Online since: July 2020
• Authors: Noor Syafiqah Samsi, N.A.S. Affendi, Muhamad Kamil Yaakob, M.F.M. Taib, A. Lepit, Oskar Hasdinor Hassan, M.Z.A. Yahya, A.M.M. Ali*
• Keywords: Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell, Electron Transport, Graphene, Photoanode, Zinc Oxide

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