ZnO Nanosheet-Nanowire morphology tuning for Dye-sensitized solar cell applications

In this work, ZnO nanosheet-nanowire morphology tuning could be achieved by simply changing the NaOH concentration in a low-temperature chemical bath. Our method produces nano/microstructures ranging from nanorods/nanowires with a wide range of diameters (-20 nm-4 mu m) and aspect ratios (-1-20) to nanosheets with different dimensions. Photoluminescence spectra were dominated by violet emission attributed to Zn interstitial related defects forming during the growth. Focusing on the specific surface area of the final product, 30-40 nm-thick nanosheets showed the best J-V performance and transport dynamics when implemented in dyesensitized solar cells.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates the tuning of ZnO nanosheet-nanowire morphology by adjusting the NaOH concentration in a low-temperature chemical bath, resulting in a variety of nano/microstructures with different sizes and aspect ratios. Photoluminescence spectra were mainly influenced by violet emission from Zn interstitial related defects formed during growth. In dye-sensitized solar cells, ZnO nanosheets with a thickness of 30-40 nm exhibited superior performance in terms of J-V characteristics and transport dynamics.