Nanometric zinc oxide based dye-sensitized solar cells utilizing simple fabrication methods and easily obtainable materials.

Reference	Presenter	Authors (Institution)	Abstract
06-115	Vânia Caldas Sousa	Haeser, G.S.(Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul); Sousa, V.C.(Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul); Wassler, F.D.(Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul); Jurado, J.(Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul);	With the ever-increasing demand of energy generation and the evident need for enviromental impact reduction, cleaner energy generation alternatives have attracted bigger interest than ever before. Among these, solar power has seen amazing development over the later decades. Since the breakthrough work of Grätzel et al. with dye-sensitized solar cells, the search for alternative materials and less impactful production methods has been constant. The objective of this work is to produce and characterize dye-sensitized solar cells utilizing simple fabrication techniques and easily obtainable materials. The photoanode is composed of a nanometric zinc oxide film deposited on an FTO (fluorine doped tin oxide) coated glass, while the cathode is composed of graphite deposited on another FTO coated coated glass. Both depositions are made utilizing an essential oil as dispersing agent. A solution of iodide in three oxidation states is used as the cell sensitizer. Electrodes are characterized via SEM imaging and four point probe resistivity measurements before the cell is sealed. The cell is characterized via Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy and its photovoltaic performance is measured using a solar simulator.
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