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.
In dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), the performances of the photo anodes depend on the bandgap of semiconducting nanomaterials. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is usually used in preparation of photo anode but it absorbs only the ultraviolet light, owing to its large bandgap of about 3.2 eV, and another drawback is that TiO2 has low electron mobility. In this study, optical studies of (TiO2/Ag/Au) nanocomposites as photo anode were carried out in order to test the possibility of improving the efficiency of the DSSCs. Dye molecule was extracted from the leave of sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica) using ethanol as solvent. TiO2/Ag/Au were deposited on a glass substrate using doctor blade method; the deposited thin films were annealed in a furnace at 450 °C for 1 h after which the annealed thin films were dye loaded for 12 h with Mimosa pudica extract. The dye loaded thin films of TiO2/Ag/Au were then characterized with a UV-vis spectroscopy to get the transmittance. The absorbance and the optical band gap were calculated. The optical absorption spectra and optical bandgap spectra of TiO2/Ag/Au thin films were examined. The maximum absorption was observed within the range of the visible region when the position of TiO2/Ag/Au is of volume ratio 1:1:0.8 and optical bandgap of 3.75eV. Anticipatedly, the performance characterization with further review on TiO2 with Ag/Au nanocomposites using M. pudica extract, as a sensitizer will enhance the development of an authentic and competitive dye sensitized solar cell.
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