Effect of different titanium dioxide (TiO2) deposition layers for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) application
Nur Alfarina Pirdaus, Nurfadzilah Ahmad, Firdaus Muhammad‐Sukki, Wan Abd Al Qadr Imad Wan‐Mohtar
Abstract
Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is a new type of solar cell that has attracted interest due to its ability to convert energy at a low cost, with simple fabrication, and non-toxic nature. Utilisation of oyster mushroom dye as a natural dye for DSSC is attributed to their large biomass yield and the fact that they can be cultivated in a regulated environment. The TiO 2 pH6 was then used to study different deposition layer thicknesses of TiO 2 thin film (1 layer, 2 layers, 3 layers, 4 layers and 5 layers) to suggest the optimised TiO 2 condition. The characterization of the structural, morphological, optical, and electrical properties of the TiO 2 photoanode with mushroom dye was carried out using XRD , FESEM, AFM, UV–Vis, and I-V measurements in this study, respectively. It was found that the pink oyster mushroom, dried by freeze drying with a 1:10 dilution and pH6 TiO 2 with 3 deposition layers, established the best results in the solar cell performance with efficiency of 0.107 % along with the optimum bandgap of 1.50 eV and anatase structural phase of (101)-planes.