Fast Electron Transport in Metal Organic Vapor Deposition Grown Dye-sensitized ZnO Nanorod Solar Cells

J. Phys. Chem. B, 110 (33), 16159 -16161, 2006. 10.1021/jp062865q S1520-6106(06)02865-3
Web Release Date: August 1, 2006

Fast Electron Transport in Metal Organic Vapor Deposition Grown Dye-sensitized ZnO Nanorod Solar Cells

Elena Galoppini* and Jonathan Rochford

Chemistry Department, Rutgers University, 73 Warren Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102

Hanhong Chen, Gaurav Saraf, and Yicheng Lu

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854

Anders Hagfeldt and Gerrit Boschloo*

Center of Molecular Devices, Department of Chemistry, Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 30, SE 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden

Received: May 10, 2006

In Final Form: June 14, 2006

Abstract:

The electron transport in dye-sensitized solar cells with a MOCVD (metal organic vapor deposition)-grown ZnO nanorod array (ZnO-N) or a mesoporous film prepared from ZnO colloids (ZnO-C) as the working electrode was compared. The electrodes were of similar thickness (2 m) and sensitized with zinc(II) meso-tetrakis(3-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin, while the electrolyte was I^-/I₃^- in 3-methoxypropionitrile. Electron transport in the ZnO-C cells was comparable with that found for colloidal TiO₂ films (transport time ~ 10 ms) and was light intensity dependent. Electron transport in solar cells with ZnO-N electrodes was about 2 orders of magnitude faster (~30 s). Thus, the morphology of the working ZnO electrode plays a key role for the electron transport properties.

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