Doping effect of MoS2 with Mesoporous Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles for Efficient Dye Sensitized Solar Cell

Abstract

The Dye sensitized solar cell has been proved as the most propitious applicant for photovoltaic applications due to its unique premises for commercial purposes. The conversion of incident photon energy of solar radiation into electrical energy has several challenges to compete to make Dye sensitized solar cell a pragmatic solution to our energy crisis. This dissertation is dedicated to the facile approach of fabricating a low cost and efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC). The main objective was the preparation of photoanode which has been done by doping of Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) in titania (TiO2) by using different molar ratios of nanoparticles of MoS2with TiO2in order to tune the optical properties and efficiency of DSSCs. The counter electrode was prepared by using graphite and N719 dye was used as an absorber of sunlight. As a transporter of electron triiodide electrolyte was used. Nanoparticles of TiO2has been prepared by sol-gel method and MoS2 powder has been purchased from Alfa-Aesar. After preparing nanoparticles, thin films of 0.1% MoS2 doped TiO2on FTO were deposited by doctor blade method in order to fabricate the photoanodes that were further characterized by using different analytical measuring techniques like UV-Visible spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). At last the sandwich like structure with working and counter electrodes, DSSC was prepared and IV-measurements was performed to check the cell efficiency. Results show that for providing efficient transport pathway of charges with optimum concentration of MoS2 which is 0.1% in TiO2 provided a good electrode configuration for DSSC and enhanced efficiency from 2.21% of undoped TiO2 to 2.7% of doped TiO2 with 0.1% MoS2that enhanced the transportation of charges.