Efficient dye-sensitized solar cells based on the combination of ZnO nanorods and microflowers.

Well-aligned ZnO nanorod films were grown onto transparent conducting substrates by using an aqueous solution route. The presence of some reflections in the X-ray diffraction pattern of the ZnO films indicates the vertical alignment of the nanorods along the c axis of the wurtzite hexagonal structure. Well-aligned ZnO nanorods were observed by scanning electron microscopy. The presence of top ZnO microflower layers over the ZnO nanorod film was observed for all growth times studied. The ZnO nanorods with ZnO microflower top layers were applied as photoelectrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells. Higher photocurrent densities and photovoltages were observed with longer nanorod growth times. The high performance of the dye-sensitized solar cells might be associated to the combination of ZnO nanorods and microflowers in the same photoelectrode.