Fabrication of ordered one-dimensional P3HT/CdS/TiO2/ZnO core-shell nanorod array and their application to hybrid solar cell

Abstract

In this paper, ordered one-dimensional poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) /CdS/TiO2/ZnO core-shell nanorod arrays were fabricated. Highly ordered and vertically oriented one-dimensional ZnO nanorod arrays were electrodeposited on the indium-tin oxide (ITO) glass substrates. TiO2 sol was deposited on ZnO nanorod array by dip-coating to obtain TiO2/ZnO core-shell nanorod array. CdS nanocrystals were electrodeposited on the TiO2/ZnO core-shell nanorods to fabricate CdS/TiO2/ZnO core-shell nanorod arrays. Then a thin P3HT layer was electrodeposited on the CdS/TiO2/ZnO core-shell nanorod arrays to prepare the photoanode of the nanostructured hybrid solar cell. The photovoltaic performance of the hybrid solar cell was tested, and the mechanism of the solar cell was investigated.