Optimizing dye-sensitized solar cells with a TiO2/CoS hybrid photoanode for enhanced solar energy conversion

IF 2.4 4区化学 Q3 CHEMISTRY, PHYSICAL

Ionics Pub Date : 2025-02-10 DOI:10.1007/s11581-025-06125-3

K. K. Saravanan, D. Venkatesan, R. Regan, G. Hariharan

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Abstract

Renewable energy resources play a valuable role in meeting the global increase in energy demand, driving the need for high-efficiency, stable photoanode materials in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In this study, TiO₂/CoS hybrid composites with varying CoS weight percentages (10%, 15%, 20%, 25%) were synthesized via a simple ultrasonication-assisted hydrothermal process to enhance DSSC performance. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), N₂ adsorption–desorption, and ultra-violet (UV)-Vis techniques were utilized to analyze the surface morphology, crystal structure, surface area, and absorbance spectra of the TiO₂/CoS composites, respectively. The characterization results confirmed the successful synthesis of TiO₂/CoS hybrid composites, with XRD and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses verifying the incorporation of CoS into the TiO₂ matrix. Additionally, N₂ adsorption–desorption isotherms revealed that the TiO₂/CoS 20 composite exhibited the highest surface area, pore size, and pore volume, which significantly enhances its dye adsorption capability and electrocatalytic performance. The current density–voltage (J-V) curve obtained under solar simulation revealed a conversion efficiency of 6.95% for the TiO₂/CoS 20 hybrid photoanode, marking a 192% increase compared to the pristine TiO₂ photoanode. This significant improvement is attributed to its lower charge transfer resistance of 5.3 Ω and enhanced photocurrent density of 17.20 mA/cm², highlighting its superior electrochemical performance in DSSCs. The TiO₂/CoS 20 hybrid composite demonstrated its effectiveness as a photoanode for DSSCs, significantly enhancing both photoconversion efficiency and electron transport properties.

Graphical Abstract

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利用TiO2/CoS杂化光阳极优化染料敏化太阳能电池以增强太阳能转换

可再生能源在满足全球能源需求增长方面发挥着重要作用，推动了染料敏化太阳能电池（DSSCs）对高效、稳定的光阳极材料的需求。在本研究中，通过简单的超声辅助水热法合成了不同CoS重量百分比（10%,15%,20%,25%）的TiO2/CoS杂化复合材料，以提高DSSC性能。利用扫描电镜（SEM）、x射线衍射（XRD）、N2吸附-解吸和紫外-可见光谱（UV -Vis）技术分别分析了TiO2/CoS复合材料的表面形貌、晶体结构、比表面积和吸光度。表征结果证实了TiO2/CoS杂化复合材料的成功合成，XRD和x射线光电子能谱（XPS）分析证实了TiO2基体中加入了CoS。N2吸附-解吸等温线结果表明，TiO2/ cos20复合材料具有最高的比表面积、孔径和孔体积，显著提高了其对染料的吸附能力和电催化性能。在太阳模拟下获得的电流密度-电压（J-V）曲线显示，TiO2/ cos20杂化光阳极的转换效率为6.95%，比原始TiO2光阳极提高了192%。这一显著的改进是由于其电荷转移电阻降低到5.3 Ω，光电流密度提高到17.20 mA/cm2，突出了其在DSSCs中的优越电化学性能。TiO2/ cos20杂化复合材料作为DSSCs的光阳极是有效的，显著提高了DSSCs的光转换效率和电子传输性能。图形抽象

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来源期刊

Ionics 化学-电化学

CiteScore

5.30

自引率

7.10%

发文量

427

审稿时长

2.2 months

期刊介绍： Ionics is publishing original results in the fields of science and technology of ionic motion. This includes theoretical, experimental and practical work on electrolytes, electrode, ionic/electronic interfaces, ionic transport aspects of corrosion, galvanic cells, e.g. for thermodynamic and kinetic studies, batteries, fuel cells, sensors and electrochromics. Fast solid ionic conductors are presently providing new opportunities in view of several advantages, in addition to conventional liquid electrolytes.