Efficiency Enhancement of Quantum Dot Sensitized TiO2/ZnO Nanorod Arrays Solar Cells by Plasmonic Ag Nanoparticles

A high efficiency quantum dot sensitized solar cell (QDSC) based on Ag nanoparticles (NPs) decorated TiO2/ZnO nanorod arrays (NAs) photoelectrode has been constructed. The incorporation of Ag NPs to TiO2/ZnO NAs photoelectrode not only increases light harvesting efficiency and facilitates exciton dissociation but also decreases surface charge recombination and prolongs electron lifetime, which collectively contribute to improving the Jsc of the CdS/CdSe QDs cosensitized solar cells. The direct contact of Ag NPs with TiO2 NPs is undergoing Fermi level alignment; thus, the apparent Fermi level is supposed to trigger an upward shift of more negative potential, which results in an increase the Voc of the QDSCs. As a result, the power conversion efficiency of the QDSCs with Ag NPs decorated TiO2/ZnO NAs photoelectrode reached 5.92%, which is about 22% enhancement of the efficiency for the solar cells without Ag NPs (4.80%).