'Basic idea, advance approach': Efficiency boost by sensitization of blended dye on chemically deposited ZnO films

The state of art is shown to develop attractive, low cost, colorful, and device grade dye sensitized solar cells using chemically synthesized ZnO. Metal free organic dyes showing unlike absorption coverage in the visible part of solar spectrum has been used to produce colorful solar cells. By mimicking the basic idea of blending two individual colors of the dyes namely, Coumarin 343 (yellow) and Eosin-Y (red) to get orange color which has been utilized toward advanced colorful approach in order to boost the device performance. Correlation is made between the optical absorption spectra of individual and blended dyes with incident photon to current conversion efficiency (IPCE). The solar cell performance under illumination (100 mW/cm, AM 1.5G) of individual and blended dyes on ZnO films have been investigated. The obtained efficiency ranges from 0.02 to 1.98% for individual dyes whereas the efficiency boosts up to 2.45% has been observed for blended dye.
PKB is thankful to DST-SERB in support of financial assistance through the Fast Track Young Scientist Project (SR/FTP/PS-063/2012, dated 06/11/2013). BRS is thankful to DST Project (SR/S2/CMP-0026/2010 and SB/S2/CMP-32/2013) And Director, VNIT for financial support under ULR grant.