Rare-Earth Ion-Doped Zinc Oxide as a Viable Photoanode Material for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Optoelectrical and Wettability Aspects

• Published in: Engineering proceedings 2023-09, Vol.46 (1), p.19
• Main Authors: Altamash Shabbir, Zuhair S. Khan, Hina Pervaiz, Hafiz Muhammad Haseeb
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: dye-sensitized solar cell; hydrophilic; lanthanum doped ZnO; optoelectrical properties; photoanode
• ISSN: 2673-4591
• DOI: 10.3390/engproc2023046019

In the realm of renewable energy harvesting, nanomaterials doping with rare-earth ions is gaining traction. Lanthanum-doped ZnO thin films were synthesized using the sol–gel technique, with various La weight percentages. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) findings indicated that the hexagonal wurtzite structure of lanthanum-doped ZnO was maintained at various La weight percentage, despite a variation in the average crystallite size from 39 nm to 26 nm. The granule-like structure was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the morphology remained unchanged with the inclusion of lanthanum. The direct energy bandgap was estimated to extend from 3.55 eV to 3.40 eV, revealing a discernible shift as the lanthanum concentration increased. The dc electrical conductivity of the films improved as the lanthanum doping in the ZnO lattice structure increased. Furthermore, increasing the La content altered the water contact angles from 51.5° to 26.4°, making the surface more hydrophilic. These findings can allow for the ubiquitous development of nanostructures for photoanode materials made of metal oxides with future applications in DSSC devices.