Voltage-assisted SILAR deposition of CdSe quantum dots to construct a high performance of ZnS/CdSe/ZnS quantum dot-sensitized solar cells.

The charge recombination on the interfaces of TiO/quantum dots (QDs)/electrolyte is a key factor limiting the efficiency of quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). Construction of double-layer barrier structure of ZnS/QDs/ZnS is a vital strategy to suppress the interfacial charge recombination. However, a large lattice mismatch (12%) at CdSe/ZnS interfaces causes CdSe to grow slowly on TiO/ZnS mesoporous film, weakening the interaction between QDs and mesoporous film, which reducing the efficiency of CdSe QDSSCs with double ZnS barrier layers.