Efficiency and stability improvement of natural dye‐sensitized solar cells using the electrospun composite of TiO ₂ nanofibres doped by the bio‐Ca nanoparticles

Abstract

Summary The dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) can be effectively improved and stabilized by outstanding electrical and morphological characteristics of TiO2 nanofibres combined with bio‐calcium doping. The pristine and bio‐Ca‐doped TiO2 nanofibres were fabricated using a cost‐effective electrospinning technique. Biocompatible calcium carbonate nanoparticles (bio‐Ca) were synthesized from the cuttlebone of Sepia Pharaonis. Moreover, a facile one‐step procedure was employed to fabricate efficient TiO2 nanofibres‐based DSSCs using a Pechini‐type sol. This approach produced a highly porous dense film of TiO2 upon sintering without the need for the hot‐pressing or adhesion layer steps. Based on the results, the DSSCs fabricated by the bio‐Ca‐doped TiO2 nanofibres showed the highest Iitalicsc, Vitalicoc, and η of 2.19 mA, 0.41 V, and 1.48% respectively. This superiority could be due to the higher specific surface area and the relatively smaller average diameter observed for bio‐Ca‐doped TiO2 nanofibres, which improved dye‐loading and guided electron transport respectively. In addition, Ca2+ doping significantly suppressed the photocatalytic activity in the bio‐Ca‐doped TiO2 nanofibres owing to the formation of the TiO2 rutile‐anatase combined phase. Besides, the substitution of Ti4+ with Ca2+ positively affects the conduction band of TiO2 and causes trap sites that retard the charge recombination. Our results also demonstrated that the bio‐Ca‐doped TiO2 nanofibres‐based DSSC maintained about 78.38% of its initial efficiency after two weeks, while DSSCs fabricated by the TiO2 nanofibres and TiO2 nanoparticles retained 63.71% and 27.38% respectively. The superior stability could be due to the combined effect of nanoparticles into nanofibres transformation and bio‐Ca doping.

Characterization of PAN-TiO2 Nanofiber Mats and their Application as Front Electrodes for Dye-sensitized Solar Cells

“…The fact that electrospinning can also be used to produce DSSCs with higher efficiencies has been shown several times in literature. Osfouri et al describe a DSSC with electrospun TiO 2 nanofibers doped by bio-Ca nanoparticles with up to 1.48% efficiency [20]. DSSC efficiencies of a similar magnitude have been reported by Al-Alwani et al [21] (0.23% effectivity) and Prabavathy et al [22] with 0.99% to 1.17%.…”

Synthesis rifaximin with copper (Rif-Cu) and copper oxide (Rif-CuO) nanoparticles Considerable dye decolorization: An application of aerobic oxidation of eco-friendly sustainable approach

“…Among these methods, green synthesis is a sustainable and cost-effective way to produce nanoparticles that does not involve the use of hazardous chemicals or high temperatures and pressures. Various types of nanoparticles, including Ag [ 11 ], Fe [ 12 ], Sb [ 13 ], Ca [ 14 ], and Au nanoparticles [ 15 ], have been synthesised using this environmentally friendly method [ 16 ]. The advantages of inorganic materials, such as copper and nickel nanoparticles, extend to energy management, textiles, batteries, healthcare, catalysis, cosmetics, semiconductors, and chemical sensing [ 17 ].…”

Electrochemical Impedance Investigation of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Electrospun TiO2 Nanofibers Photoanodes

“…Furthermore, this technique could be applied to fabricate 3D networks from TiO 2 NFs [ 25 ] or nanocomposites Zr/Ag /TiO 2 [ 26 ], and applied for variable applications, including water treatment [ 27 ], photocatalysis [ 28 ], solar energy [ 29 ], and different multifunctional applications [ 30 ]. Additionally, many chemical treatments were reported to improve the efficiency of TiO 2 , such as surface modification [ 31 ], metal doping [ 32 ], or non-metal doping [ 33 , 34 ]. The N-doping strategy could enhance the optical characteristics of the utilized semiconductor in addition to improving the photo-generated electrons’ mobility via decreasing the charge recombination as well as shifting the flat-band voltage of the conduction band, which has a significant impact on both the obtained current (J SC ) and voltage (V OC ) [ 35 ].…”