SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ZnO NANOPARTICLE FILMS ITS APPLICATION IN DYE-SENSITIZED SOLAR CELLS

ZnO nanoparticle films were prepared using facile precipitation with low-toxic solvents. The nanoparticle films were observed in compact formation with uniform nanoparticle sizes, good distribution, and high specific surface areas. The chemical composition of Zn and O was detected and the optical band gap was estimated. The hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO nanoparticle films was confirmed by XRD and Raman. For dye-sensitized solar cell application, power conversion efficiency of 2.51% was measured due to the concurrent improvements of dye adsorption and charge collection efficiency. Therefore, ZnO nanoparticle films be considered as a well-functional material to turn suitable structures for DSSC application.