Indium-doped ZnO as efficient photosensitive material for sunlight driven hydrogen generation and DSSC applications: integrated experimental and computational approach

Electricity generation using simple and cheap dye-sensitized solar cells and photocatalytic water splitting to produce future fuel, hydrogen, directly under natural sunlight fascinated the researchers worldwide. Herein, synthesis of indium-doped wurtzite ZnO nanostructures with varying molar percentage of indium from 0.25 to 3.0% with concomitant characterization indicating wurtzite structure is reported. The shift of (002) reflection plane to higher 2θ degree with increase in indium-doping thus is a clear evidence of doping of indium in zinc oxide nanoparticles. Surface morphological as well as microstructural studies of In@ZnO exhibited generation of ZnO nanoparticles and nanoplates of diameter 10–30 nm. The structures have been correlated well using computational density functional (DFT) studies. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy depicted the extended absorbance of these materials in the visible region. Hence, the photocatalytic activity towards hydrogen generation from water under natural sunlight as well as efficient DSSC fabrication of these newly synthesized materials has been demonstrated. In-doped ZnO exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity towards hydrogen evolution (2465 μmol/h/g) via water splitting under natural sunlight. DSSC fabricated using 2% In-doped ZnO exhibited an efficiency of 3.46% which is higher than other reported In-doped ZnO based DSSCs.

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Work Title Indium-doped ZnO as efficient photosensitive material for sunlight driven hydrogen generation and DSSC applications: integrated experimental and computational approach
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Open Access
Creators
  1. Ratna Chauhan
  2. Manish Shinde
  3. Yogesh Sethi
  4. Yogesh Waghadkar
  5. Sachin R. Rondiya
  6. Nelson Y. Dzade
  7. Suresh Gosavi
  8. Mohd Muddassir
License In Copyright (Rights Reserved)
Work Type Article
Publisher
  1. Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry
Publication Date July 5, 2021
Publisher Identifier (DOI)
  1. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-021-04999-7
Deposited January 13, 2022

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Version 1
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  • Created
  • Added Final_Manuscript_-_In_doped_ZnO.docx
  • Added Creator Ratna Chauhan
  • Added Creator Manish Shinde
  • Added Creator Yogesh Sethi
  • Added Creator Yogesh Waghadkar
  • Added Creator Sachin R. Rondiya
  • Added Creator Nelson Y. Dzade
  • Added Creator Suresh Gosavi
  • Added Creator Mohd Muddassir
  • Published
  • Updated
  • Updated
  • Updated