title: Vertically building Zn2SnO4 nanowire arrays on stainless steel mesh toward fabrication of large-area, flexible dye-sensitized solar cells.
abstract: Zn(2)SnO(4) nanowire arrays were for the first time grown onto a stainless steel mesh (SSM) in a binary ethylenediamine (En)/water solvent system using a solvothermal route. The morphology evolution following this reaction was carefully followed to understand the formation mechanism. The SSM-supported Zn(2)SnO(4) nanowire was utilized as a photoanode for fabrication of large-area (10 cm × 5 cm size as a typical sample), flexible dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The synthesized Zn(2)SnO(4) nanowires exhibit great bendability and flexibility, proving potential advantage over other metal oxide nanowires such as TiO(2), ZnO, and SnO(2) for application in flexible solar cells. Relative to the analogous Zn(2)SnO(4) nanoparticle-based flexible DSSCs, the nanowire geometry proves to enhance solar energy conversion efficiency through enhancement of electron transport. The bendable nature of the DSSCs without obvious degradation of efficiency and facile scale up gives the as-made flexible solar cell device potential for practical application.
authors.affiliation: Eco-Materials and Renewable Energy Research Center (ERERC), National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhengdao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Chunxiong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Guogang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Jiyuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jianguo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Zhigang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zou
mesh_terms: D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D004566:Electrodes; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000737:chemistry; D053770:Nanowires / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012993:Solar Energy; D013193:Stainless Steel / Q000737:chemistry*; D017971:Tin Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D015034:Zinc Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D004573:Electrolytes; D017971:Tin Compounds; D013193:Stainless Steel; C045358:stannic oxide; D015034:Zinc Oxide