title: Carbonate Doping in TiO2 Microsphere: The Key Parameter Influencing Others for Efficient Dye Sensitized Solar Cell.
abstract: Four key parameters namely light trapping, density of light harvesting centre, photoinduced electron injection and electron transport without self-recombination are universally important across all kinds of solar cells. In the present study, we have considered the parameters in the context of a model Dye Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC). Our experimental studies reveal that carbonate doping of TiO2 mesoporous microspheres (doped MS) makes positive influence to all the above mentioned key parameters responsible for the enhanced solar cell efficiency. A simple method has been employed to synthesize the doped MS for the photoanode of a N719 (ruthenium dye)-based DSSC. A detail electron microscopy has been used to characterize the change in morphology of the MS upon doping. The optical absorption spectrum of the doped MS reveals significant shift of TiO2 (compared to that of the MS without doping) towards maximum solar radiance (~500 nm) and the excellent scattering in the entire absorption band of the sensitizing dye (N719). Finally, and most importantly, for the first time we have demonstrated that the solar cells with doped MS offers better efficiency (7.6%) in light harvesting compared to MS without doping (5.2%) and also reveal minimum self recombination of photoelectrons in the redox chain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health Faculty of Public Health and Health informatics Umm Al-Qura University, 21955 Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Zaki S
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Seddigi
authors.affiliation: Chemistry Department, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, 21955 Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Saleh A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical, Biological and Macromolecular Sciences, S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Block JD, Sector III, SaltLake, Kolkata 700 098, India.
authors.forename: Samim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sardar
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical, Biological and Macromolecular Sciences, S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Block JD, Sector III, SaltLake, Kolkata 700 098, India.
authors.forename: Samir Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Pal