Investigation of the properties of niobium pentoxide for use in dye‐sensitized solar cells

Abstract

Abstract This work demonstrates the obtention of Nb 2 O 5 nanoparticles by the microwave‐assisted hydrothermal synthesis method in a fast way and with the use of low temperatures. The heat treatment applied on the samples promotes the phase change in Nb 2 O 5 from pseudohexagonal to orthorhombic as the temperature increases, with a particle size between 7.3 and 32.6 nm. The band gap of the samples decreases with increasing temperature, obtaining a minimum value of 3.04 eV at 800°C. Dye‐sensitized solar cells ( DSSC ) were assembled using the Doctor Blade coating technique. The photovoltaic parameters of open‐circuit voltage ( Voc ) and short‐circuit current density ( Jsc ) were evaluated. The cells showed a photovoltaic response, demonstrating that Nb 2 O 5 has a semiconductive potential. The DSSC have different characteristics regarding Jsc and Voc , showing that according to the temperature increase in the semiconductor sample, there is a decrease in the photovoltaic parameters of the cells.