The preparation and photovoltaic characterization of CdTe quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) is presented.
Fluorine doped Tin Oxide (FTO) substrates were coated with 20 nm-diameter TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs). Presynthesized colloidal CdTe
quantum dots of radius R = 2.1 nm were deposited on the TiO2-coated substrates using direct adsorption (DA) method, by dipping for
different times at ambient conditions. The FTO counter electrodes were coated with platinum, while the electrolyte containing I−/ I−
3
redox species was sandwiched between the two electrodes. The J-V characteristic curves of the assembled QDSSCs were measured at
different simulated sunlight power. The short current density (Jsc) and efficiency (η) increase with dipping time. At 50 h dipping time,
and AM 1.5 simulated sunlight, the open-circuit photovoltage Voc, the short circuit photocurrent density Jsc, fill factor FF, and the
efficiency for energy conversion η were 0.5 volts , 1,105 μA/cm2, 0.43 and 0.19%, respectively. Furthermore, the Jsc increases linearly
with increasing the intensities of the sun light which indicates the stability of the assembled cells.