Effect of Ultrathin Al2O3 Layer on TiO2 Surface in CdS/CdSe Co-Sensitized Quantum Dot Solar Cells

In order to enhance the photovoltaic property of the CdS/CdSe co-sensitized quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs), the surface of nanoporous $TiO_2$ photoanode was modified by ultrathin $Al_2O_3$ layer before the deposition of quantum dots (QDs). The $Al_2O_3$ layer, dip-coated by 0.10 M Al precursor solution, exhibited the optimized performance in blocking the back-reaction of the photo-injected electrons from $TiO_2$ conduction band (CB) to polysulfide electrolyte. Transient photocurrent spectra revealed that the electron lifetime (${\tau}_e$) increased significantly by introducing the ultrathin $Al_2O_3$ layer on $TiO_2$ surface, whereas the electron diffusion coefficient ($D_e$) was not varied. As a result, the $V_{oc}$ increased from 0.487 to 0.545 V, without appreciable change in short circuit current ($J_{sc}$), thus inducing the enhancement of photovoltaic conversion efficiency (${\eta}$) from 3.01% to 3.38%.