ZnO based quantum dot sensitized solar cell using CdS quantum dots

Abstract

This paper reports the fabrication of Zinc Oxide (ZnO) based quantum dot sensitized solar cell using Cadmium Sulphide (CdS) quantum dots (QDs) capped by poly vinyl alcohol (PVA). Chemical route was used to synthesize ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) as well as CdS QDs. The crystallite size of ZnO NPs was obtained to be 28 nm at 7 pH. The size of QDs decreased from 5.6 to 2.6 nm with increase in the PVA concentration from 2 to 10 wt. %. There is a blue shift in the band gap of QDs with increase in the concentration of PVA. Current-Voltage characteristic of the cell was obtained and various solar cell parameters were estimated. The efficiency of quantum dot sensitized solar cells was found to be 1.3% at AM 1.5.