The synthesis of N-doped TiO2/CdS nanocomposites for quantum dots-sensitized solar cells

The N-doped TiO2/CdS nanocomposites had been synthesized by in situ formation of Cadmium Sulfide (CdS) quantum dots on N-doped TiO2 thin films through successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The... [ view full abstract ]

The N-doped TiO2/CdS nanocomposites had been synthesized by in situ formation of Cadmium Sulfide (CdS) quantum dots on N-doped TiO2 thin films through successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. The synthesis was done using (Cd(NO3)2 9 H2O) as Cd precursor and natrium sulfide (Na2S) as S source, which was performed by dipping the N-doped TiO2 thin film in the ethanolic precursor solutions as one synthesis cycle. The CdS contents and thicknesses were varied based on CdS synthesis cycle. The resulting N-doped TiO2/CdS nanocomposites were characterized using XRD, UV Vis Spectroscopy and SEM/EDX. The more cycles applied resulted in a higher CdS amount on N-doped TiO2 thin film which provided the more intense absorption in the visible light region. The N-doped TiO2/CdS nanocomposites with different CdS concentrations were then applied as photoanode of the quantum dots-sensitized solar cells (QDSSC) system. The results indicated that the concentration of CdS on TiO2/CdS nanocomposites highly influences the overall efficiency of the solar cell system.