Enhanced Performance of p-Type Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Ultrasmall Mg-Doped CuCrO2 Nanocrystals

• Herein, we present ultrasmall delafossite-type Mg-doped CuCrO2 nanocrystals prepared by using hydrothermal synthesis and their first application as photocathodes in efficient p-type dye-sensitized solar cells. The short-circuit current density (J(sc)) is notably increased by approximately 27% owing to the decreased crystallite size and the enhanced optical transmittance associated with Mg doping of the CuCrO2 nanocrystalline sample. An open-circuit voltage (V-oc) of 201mV, J(sc) of 1.51mAcm(-2), fill factor of 0.449, and overall photoconversion efficiency of 0.132% have been achieved with the CuCr0.9Mg0.1O2 dye photocathode sensitized with the P1 dye under optimized conditions. This efficiency is nearly threetimes higher than that of the NiO-based reference device, which is attributed to the largely improved V-oc and J(sc). The augmentation of V-oc and J(sc) can be attributed to the lower valance band position and the faster hole diffusion coefficient of CuCr0.9Mg0.1O2 compared to those of the NiO reference, respectively, which leads to a higher hole collection efficiency.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

delaffosite oxides

doping

hydrothermal synthesis

semiconductors

solar cells

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)