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<p>In this work, we report the synthesis and comparative evaluation of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)- and dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA)-functionalized zinc oxide nanomaterials (ZOC and ZOD, respectively) as photoanodes in quasi-solid-state dye-sensitised solar cells (QS-DSSCs). The influence of surfactant-mediated surface engineering on structural, morphological, optical, and interfacial charge transport properties was comprehensively investigated. X-ray diffraction confirmed the hexagonal wurtzite phase of ZnO, with ZOD exhibiting reduced crystallinity due to DBSA-induced lattice strain. FESEM and HRTEM analyses revealed well-dispersed, spherical ZOC particles, while ZOD displayed severe aggregation attributed to π–π stacking interactions from the DBSA’s phenyl moiety. UV–vis DRS and Tauc analysis revealed a slight bandgap narrowing in ZOC (3.19&#xa0;eV) compared to ZOD (3.21&#xa0;eV), indicating enhanced light absorption through surfactant modulation. Photovoltaic studies demonstrated that the ZOC-based DSSC outperformed its ZOD counterpart, achieving a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.78% due to enhanced photocurrent (16.73&#xa0;mA cm<sup>−2</sup>), better charge transport (lower Rs and Rct), and prolonged electron lifetime (8.33 ms). In contrast, the ZOD-based device suffered from interfacial recombination and suppressed electron injection, resulting in a PCE of only 0.44%. These findings highlight the crucial role of surfactant selection in shaping ZnO surface characteristics and interfacial behaviour, providing a viable approach for the rational design of high-performance photoanodes in next-generation DSSCs.</p>

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Surfactant-engineered ZnO nanostructures for enhanced DSSC performance: structure-property-photovoltaic correlation

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月21日

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  • G. Jiji,
  • C. Amuthambigai,
  • M. Shiney,
  • P. Ram Kumar,
  • P. Jona

摘要

In this work, we report the synthesis and comparative evaluation of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)- and dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA)-functionalized zinc oxide nanomaterials (ZOC and ZOD, respectively) as photoanodes in quasi-solid-state dye-sensitised solar cells (QS-DSSCs). The influence of surfactant-mediated surface engineering on structural, morphological, optical, and interfacial charge transport properties was comprehensively investigated. X-ray diffraction confirmed the hexagonal wurtzite phase of ZnO, with ZOD exhibiting reduced crystallinity due to DBSA-induced lattice strain. FESEM and HRTEM analyses revealed well-dispersed, spherical ZOC particles, while ZOD displayed severe aggregation attributed to π–π stacking interactions from the DBSA’s phenyl moiety. UV–vis DRS and Tauc analysis revealed a slight bandgap narrowing in ZOC (3.19 eV) compared to ZOD (3.21 eV), indicating enhanced light absorption through surfactant modulation. Photovoltaic studies demonstrated that the ZOC-based DSSC outperformed its ZOD counterpart, achieving a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.78% due to enhanced photocurrent (16.73 mA cm−2), better charge transport (lower Rs and Rct), and prolonged electron lifetime (8.33 ms). In contrast, the ZOD-based device suffered from interfacial recombination and suppressed electron injection, resulting in a PCE of only 0.44%. These findings highlight the crucial role of surfactant selection in shaping ZnO surface characteristics and interfacial behaviour, providing a viable approach for the rational design of high-performance photoanodes in next-generation DSSCs.