Fabrication of ZnO/Eosin Y Hybrid Thin Film by Electrochemical Deposition

Nanoporous ZnO/Eosin Y hybrid thin films were fabricated on ITO substrate by cathodic electrochemical deposition from aqueous mixture of zinc nitrate and Esoin Y sodium salt. Effects of the pretreatment process and the dye concentration in the deposition bath on the crystal structure, morphology, and optical properties of the hybrid film were investigated. Results show that the introduction of a short electrochemical pretreatment process can enhance the crystallinity of ZnO, and ZnO crystals are induced to grow along the c axis direction by the pretreatment. As the concentration of Eosin Y in the bath increases, the crystalline quality of film decreases, and the deposit loses its hexagonal crystal facets gradually. Nanoporous ZnO/Eosin Y hybrid films with high dye loading content and thick film thickness is obtained by adding 50| ol/L Ensin Y in the deposition bath. The prototype dye sensitized solar cell device utilizing this hybrid film as photoelectrode is fabricated, exhibiting an open-circuit photovoltage of 0.49V, a short-circuit photocurrent density of 0.67mA/cm2￡ and an overall conversation efficiency of 0.105% under white light illumination. a¤