Design of SnO2 aggregate/nanosheet composite structures based on function-matching strategy for enhanced dye-sensitized solar cell performance

Abstract

Hierarchical SnO2 nanocrystallites aggregates (NAs) were prepared with a simple room temperature-based aqueous solution method followed by simple freeze-drying treatment. The as-prepared SnO2 NAs were subsequently combined with SnO2 nanosheet-based structures from the viewpoint of a function-matching strategy, and under an optimized condition, a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5.59% was obtained for the resultant hybrid photoanode, a remarkable 60% enhancement compared to that of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) fabricated with bare SnO2 NAs architecture. The significantly enhanced efficiency can be attributed to the combination of the desirable electron transport property obtained by the intentionally introduced SnO2 nanosheets (NSs) and the effectively retained inherent characteristics of SnO2 NAs, i.e., large surface area and strong light-scattering effect. This work provides a promising approach for the rapid development of highly efficient SnO2 photoanode film-based DSCs with the properties of simplicity of operation and control over the photoanode composition.