Li doped ZnO based DSSC: Characterization and preparation of nanopowders and electrical performance of its DSSC

In this study, microwave-assisted hydrothermal method (MW-HT) has been used to synthesize the nanopowders of Li doped ZnO, which are used in fabrication of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). XRD examinations have shown that Li doped ZnO nanopowders synthesized in different concentration have highly crystallized hexagonal structure. To investigate the morphology of nanopowders, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been used and the results have revealed the nanoflower morphology of Li doped ZnO powders. Kubelka-Munk function has been utilized to determine the band gap of bare and dye loaded Li doped ZnO samples and an increase from 3.21 eV to 3.24 eV has been observed in the band gap as increasing Li content. The results of solar cell performance of the fabricated Li doped ZnO based DSSC samples have been exhibited that the efficiency of cells increases as the Li doping ratio is boosted and it has been observed the highest efficiency value of 1.23% for LZ10-DSSC.