Exploring the influence of Zn2SnO4/ZIF-8 nanocomposite photoelectrodes on boosting efficiency of dye sensitized solar cells

It is imperative to develop innovative efficient photoelectrode materials for high-performance dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In this work, cubic spinel Zn2SnO4 (ZTO)+(5, 10, 15, 20%) zeolite imidazole framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanoparticles were applied as photoanode materials of DSSC devices. The Zn2SnO4 was effectively synthesized in a simple and cost-effective manner by carefully controlling the hydrothermal conditions. The Zn2SnO4/ZIF-8 nanocomposite photoelectrodes were coated over the TiO2 compact layer to decrease charge recombination at the transparent conductive oxide/mesoporous interface. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), photoluminescence (PL), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) isotherms, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis methods were used to study the properties of all nanostructured photoanodes. In addition, the effects of Zn2SnO4/ZIF-8 nanocomposites were evaluated on DSSCs performances. The results clearly showed that adding ZIF-8 to Zn2SnO4 improved the photovoltaic performance of the fabricated DSSCs. Furthermore, compared to pure Zn2SnO4 NPs, Zn2SnO4+15% ZIF-8 increased open circuit voltage (VOC) from 0.64 to 0.77 V and short current density (JSC) from 6.89 to 11.27 mA/cm(2). The Zn2SnO4+15% ZIF-8 photoanodes increased the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of DSSC by about 195% (from 2.02 to 3.94%) relative to the pure ZTO photoanode. This was due to the fact that the Zn2SnO4+15% ZIF-8 nanocomposite had the quickest electron transport rate, the best electron collecting efficiency, and the greatest charge recombination resistance, all of which are extremely advantageous to improve device efficiency.

Automated summary

In this study, Zn2SnO4/ZIF-8 nanocomposites were synthesized and applied as photoanode materials for high-performance DSSCs. The addition of ZIF-8 improved the photovoltaic performance of the DSSCs due to enhanced electron transport rate, electron collecting efficiency, and charge recombination resistance.