Experimental and theoretical study of 1, 4-naphthoquinone based dye in dye-sensitized solar cells using ZnO photoanode

Abstract

A dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) was assembled using a dye 4-(3-chloro-1, 4-dioxo-1, 4-dihydronaphthalen-2-ylamino) benzoic acid with ZnO as a photoanode. It was synthesized using 2, 3-dichloro 1, 4-naphthoquinone and p-amino benzoic acid. The spectral features of the dye were analyzed in ethanol using experimental and computational methods. The theoretical investigations revealed that the synthesized dye may act as a sensitizer in DSSCs. The photoelectrochemical performance was tested under direct sunlight using a sandwich type DSSC. The photovoltaic data of the dye adsorbed on ZnO films indicated thepower conversion efficiency of 1.07 % under sunlight with a light intensity of 39 mW·cm-2.