Today’s solar cells are simply not efficient enough and are currently too expensive to manufacture for large-scale electricity generation. However, potential advancements in nanotechnology may open the door to the production of cheaper and slightly more efficient solar cells. This research is based on the study of photovoltaic properties of low temperature synthesized carbon nanotube (CNT) nanocomposite as an anode buffer layer for the PEDOT:PSS based polymer solar cells. CNT was synthesized using simple and cost effective method at low temperature. The structural and optical properties of prepared CNT samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and UV spectroscopy. CNT/PEDOT:PSS nanocomposite solutions was prepared and spin coated on a cleaned glass substrate at different spin coating speed, the fabricated buffer layer thin film devices were annealed from 100 °C to 500 °C, their optical and electrical properties were then analyzed. The XRD of synthesized CNTs nanoparticles show diffraction pattern which exhibit tetragonal structure and FTIR shows functional group of carbon nanotube. The SEM image showed that the obtained sample maintained tubular structure, cluster at 20 nm but properly dispersed at 100 nm. The optical studies of the films show an increase in absorbance as the annealing temperature increases. The photovoltaic performance of the polymer solar cell showed an improved efficiency of 6.44 % for optimized device. It is deduced from this work that low temperature synthesized CNT nanocomposite demonstrated better performance as anode buffer layer for high efficient polymer solar cells.
Synthesis of Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) using plant extract was carried out in this work because of its advantages over other method of synthesis namely; simplicity, environmental friendliness and elimination of toxic chemicals. Fresh Siam leaf extract was characterized over a period of 10 days to study the effect of time on the optical photon energy absorption properties. ZnONPs was synthesized and deposited on substrate by spin-coating method and characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, Scanning Electron microscopy, and Energy Dispersive X-ray. ZnONPs thin film device was then fabricated to study the electrical properties. From UV-vis spectroscopic result, as the time (day) increased, there was an increase in the value of the transmittance and corresponding reduction in photon energy absorption. FTIR result gives the functional groups and absorption number at 3448.04cm−1 O-H single bond, 2524.85cm−1 C-H bond, 1437.15 cm−1, 880.59 cm−1, 729.06 cm−1, 433.44 cm−1 Zn-OH and Zn-O variety of single bond. The surface morphology shows large grain size. Energy band gap of ZnONPs was approximately 3.7 eV. The fabricated ZnONPs thin film device under illumination has efficiency of 2.010/0. From the morphology, optical, and electrical properties of the ZnONPs thin film and device, it could be a suitable material for crystalline solar cells as photoanode.
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