Single wall carbon nanotube/titania nanocomposite photoanodes enhance the photovoltaic performance of cadmium selenide quantum dot-sensitized solar cells

Improving the photovoltaic performance of CdSe quantum dots sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) using 0.2 wt% of single walled carbon nanotubes/Titania (SWCNTs/TiO2) nanocomposite photoanode is reported. These SWCNTs/TiO2 nanocomposite films were prepared by mechanical mixing and spread on the photoanode by a doctor blade method. The current density-voltage (J-V) characteristic curves of such assembled QDSSCs were measured at AM 1.5 simulated sunlight. Solar cells based on SWCNTs/TiO2 nanocomposite photoanode achieves 58% increase in power conversion efficiency (eta) compared with those based on plain TiO2 NPs photoanode under a AM 1.5 simulated sunlight and for dipping time of 6 h. The significant improvement of J(sc) and eta for CdSe QDSSCs based on SWCNTs/TiO2 nanocomposite photoanode is due to the enhancement in the absorption of the incident light and rapid electron transport through the SWCNTs compared to the plain TiO2 NPs. Furthermore, the linear increase in J(sc) with increasing intensity of the sunlight indicates the sensitivity of the assembled cells. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.