Low-temperature growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) half-cut bamboo-like patterns on an aluminium substrate as a photoanode in quantum dots solar cells

Abstract

Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) forests grown on an aluminum (Al) substrate at the low temperature of 600 C were used as a photoanode in CdSe/ZnS (core/shell) quantum dot (QD) sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). Under AM 1.5 sunlight intensity (100 mW/cm2), QD-treated MWCNTs half-cut bamboo-like patterns on the Al substrate showed a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 0.04% higher than those CNT honeycombs selfassembly patterns grown on a silicon, stainless steel (SUS304), and permalloy45 substrates
with PCEs of 0.006%, 0.011%, and 0.05% respectively. Half-cut bamboo-like patterns on the Al substrate shows the higher PCE with the lower reflectance which indicates a high surface area of CNTs to adsorb the QDs leading to the better efficiency.