Synthesis and characterization of nanostructured La-doped BaSnO3 for dye-sensitized solar cell application

Nanostructured pure and lanthanum (La) doped (0.01%, 0.03% and 0.05%) perovskite BaSnO3 materials were synthesized by hydrothermal method and annealed at 1000 degrees C/2 h in air. Rietveld refinement of the XRD data indicated single-phase nature of the samples with cubic crystallographic structure. The morphology of pure and La-doped BaSnO3 (La-BSO) studied using scanning electron microscopy indicated the formation of distinct rodlike structures. Upon doping with La, the BSO nanorods disintegrated and tend towards a mixed nanorodsnanoparticle like morphology as confirmed from the TEM measurements. The XPS data confirmed La to be in 3+ oxidation state. The 0.03% La-BSO was found to have a higher value of band-gap. A maximum power conversion efficiency of 1.23% with a higher short circuit current density of 2.57 mA/cm(2) was obtained for the DSSC fabricated using 0.03% La-BSO nanostructured material as a photoanode.