Organic-inorganic hybrid dye-sensitized solar cells with bismuth ferrite sandwiched between rhodamine-6G and helical ZnO-dense nano-chains

Abstract Organic–inorganic hybrid dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) were grown on a conducting glass substrate employing multiple layers of bismuth-ferrite (BFO) sandwiched between Zinc oxide helical nanochain and Rhodamine- 6 G dye. The zinc oxide layer has been used as a n-type semiconductor window layer. To increase the carrier concentration ZnO has been doped with aluminium. The bismuth ferrite layer served as an electron-blocking layer, while rhodamine 6 g acted as a dye synthesizer. When the window layer is pure ZnO and the BFO layer is properly optimized, solar cell efficiency increases from 0.7% to 1.3%. Aluminum doping in ZnO, combined with an identical BFO layer, increases efficiency from 1.37% to a maximum of 2.1% without employing any kind of electrolyte. Doping the Zn site with Al enhances the efficiency of such a DSSC structure by 1.53 times. BFO limits charge recombination, which leads to enhanced efficiency as an outcome. A parametric analysis was carried out to determine the optimal BFO thickness for increased solar cell efficiency. The main advantages of this optimal DSSC structure are that it is economical, efficient, and does not require any liquid electrolyte. The stability was higher because there was no use of liquid electrolytes.