Preparation of ZnO nanoelectrodes for use in solar cells

• Grant number: 10/52109-8
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: April 01, 2011
• End date: September 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal Investigator: Eguiberto Galego
• Grantee: Eguiberto Galego
• Host Institution: Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN). Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Econômico (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The physical properties of zinc oxide have enabled its widespread use as a nanostructured material. The hexagonal crystal structure of zinc oxide permits a variety of morphologies to be obtained, and this allows it to be used in: UV lasers, piezoelectric crystals, chemical sensors, gas sensors, light emitting diodes, photo detectors, solar cells etc. In the solar energy field, ZnO has been used as an electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells, substituting TiO2 even though the ZnO electrode has lower conversion efficiency than TiO2. In recent years, much work is ongoing to develop methods to obtain low cost ZnO, environmentally benign and with higher solar conversion efficiency. The objectives of this project are: (1) to develop a microcomputer controlled automatic system to obtain ZnO nanostructures with nano-wire morphologies, for use as a solar cell electrode and achieve higher conversion efficiencies as a function of morphology; (2) characterization of the nanostructured ZnO using x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. (AU)