NLOQO Home · Issue Contents · Forthcoming Papers
Optimization of Zn-Doped NiO Nanostructures for Improved Performance of Sustainable Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
H. R. Abd Ali, H. S. Rasheed, O. A. Chichan, S. A. Hussein, N. F. Habubi, S. S. Chiad and Y. H. Kadhim
In recent years, nano oxides have been considered essential in this field. This study deposited Zn-doped NiO nanostructures with Zn ratios of 2% and 4%. The simple spray pyrolysis (SP) method was adopted. XRD analysis revealed that the nanostructures were polycrystalline, with a slight increase in grain size from 13.31 nm to 15.52 nm at higher zinc concentrations. The (101) plane was identified as the predominant reflection. Samples of the deposited films were obtained using AFM. The thickness of nanostructures was observed to be (88.1), (63.8), and (51.7) nm for (NiO, NiO:2% Zn, NiO:4% Zn), respectively. The transmittance in the visible light range exceeds 75%. The optical bandgap values decreased from 3.48 to 3.36 eV as the zinc content increased. The absorption coefficient increased with increasing dopant concentration up to 4% of the zinc content. Results show that the optical constants decrease with increasing zinc content. Changing the Zn doping ratio, while controlling crystal size, has increased the conversion efficiency of Zn-doped and undoped NiO nanostructures from 0.158% to 0.308%. Both undoped and Zn-doped NiO exhibit high efficiency and can be used in sustainable dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs).
Keywords: Nickel Oxide, Optical Properties, Sustainable DSSC