Optimizing the successive ionic layer absorption and reaction cycles of bismuth Oxyiodide for sensitized solar cells

Abstract

Dye – sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are the third-generation low-cost solar cells. Photoanode, electrolyte and counter electrodes are the main components of a dyesensitized solar cells. Generally, commercially available inorganic dyes are used as the sensitizers in dye-sensitized solar cells. Overall performance of the dyesensitized solar cell can be enhanced by modifying these components. In DSSC, commercially available dyes are generally used. They show a better performance. But they are the expensive materials. In this study, Bismuth Oxyiodide (BiOI) has been synthesized on TiO2 nanostructure by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique. In order to fabricate highly efficient solar cell, number of SILAR cycles were optimized and compared with the N719 dye –sensitized solar cells under the same conditions. Fabricated BiOI - sensitized solar cell shows a maximum efficiency of 0.54% while the N719 dye-sensitized solar cell shows an efficiency of 3.33% under the illumination of 100 mW cm-2 with AM 1.5 spectral filter. However, BiOI can be used as a low-cost sensitizer for dyesensitized solar cells.