Optimization of titanium dioxide decorated by graphene quantum dot as a light scattering layer for enhanced dye-sensitized solar cell performance

• Main Authors: Mustafa, Muhammad Norhaffis, Sulaiman, Yusran
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2020
• Online Access: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/87017/1/Optimization%20of%20titanium%20dioxide%20decorated%20by%20graphene%20quantum.pdf; http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/87017/; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1572665720307438?via%3Dihub
• Institution: Universiti Putra Malaysia

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) as a photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) has some drawbacks that reduce its photovoltaic performances i.e. low dye loading capacity and low light-harvesting efficiency. Therefore, TiO2 decorated by graphene quantum dot (GQD) as a light scatterer has been successfully fabricated via electrodeposition and drop-casting. The response surface methodology/central composite design was successfully utilized to optimize the preparation of photoanode with TiO2-GQD as a light scattering layer (LSL). A reduced quadratic model was successfully designed to predict the power conversion efficiency (PCE) accurately up to 97% with a 3% residual standard error. The TiO2-GQD LSL depicted a cluster of spherical nanoparticles on top of the photoanode that not only enhanced the light scattering effect but also improved the light-harvesting range from visible light to ultraviolet and near-infrared range. The resultant TiO2 nanoparticles with TiO2-GQD LSL showed vast enhancement of PCE up to 66% from 3.06% to 5.01% due to a good synergistic effect.