Enhanced dye-sensitized solar cell performance using strontium titanate perovskite integrated photoanodes modified with plasmonic silver nanoparticles

• Published in: Journal of alloys and compounds Vol. 889; p. 161693
• Main Authors: Sasikala, R., Kandasamy, M., Suresh, S., Ragavendran, V., Sasirekha, V., Pearce, J.M., Murugesan, S., Mayandi, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 31.12.2021; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Ag-SrTiO3 plasmonic nanocomposites; Chemical reduction; Chemical synthesis; Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy; Dye-sensitized solar cell; Dye-sensitized solar cells; Dyes; Electron transfer; Energy conversion efficiency; Luminous intensity; Microscopy; Nanocomposites; Nanoparticles; Open circuit voltage; Perovskites; Photoanodes; Photoelectric effect; Photoluminescence; Photovoltaic cells; Plasmonic photovoltaics; Plasmonics; Power conversion efficiency; Short circuits; Silver; Spectrum analysis; SrTiO3 perovskite; Strontium; Strontium titanates; Dye-sensitized solar cell; Plasmonic photovoltaics; SrTiO3 perovskite; Power conversion efficiency; Ag-SrTiO3 plasmonic nanocomposites
• ISSN: 0925-8388; 1873-4669
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2021.161693

•Ag-SrTiO3NCs were prepared by a facile chemical reduction method and employed as photoanode of DSSC.•Surface plasmon resonance feature of Ag NPs improves light scattering in the Ag-SrTiO3 NC photoanode.•Reduced charge recombination and enhanced charge transfer in the Ag-SrTiO3 NC lead to improved DSSC efficiency. [Display omitted] Plasmonic silver nanoparticles loaded strontium titanate nanocomposites (Ag-SrTiO3 NC) with diverse weight percentages (0.5, 1.5, 2.5 and 5 wt%) of Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) are synthesized by a facile chemical reduction method. The prepared nanocomposites are characterized using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, photoluminescence spectroscopy, scanning electronic microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) integrated with Ag-SrTiO3 NC photoanodes has been assessed under simulated sun light intensity of 100 mW cm−2. The Ag-SrTiO3 NC photoanode loaded with 2.5 wt% Ag NPs exhibited higher power conversion efficiency of 4.39% with short-circuit photocurrent density of 11.54 mA cm−2, open circuit voltage of 0.77 V and fill factor of 0.49 in DSSC. This enhanced photovoltaic performance can be credited to high dye loading, improvement in visible light harvesting - and fast photo-induced electron transfer caused by the plasmonic Ag NPs.