Green-Synthesised Silver Nanoparticle Doping for Enhanced Photovoltaic Performance of Nickel Phthalocyanine-Based Dye-Sensitised Solar Cells.

Abstract

This study reports the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AR-AgNPs) using Arum rupicula Boiss leaf extract as a natural reducing and stabilising agent and evaluates their influence on the photovoltaic performance of nickel phthalocyanine (NiPc)-based dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSCs). The formation and physicochemical properties of the AR-AgNPs were investigated using UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The synthesised nanoparticles exhibited a maximum absorption wavelength of 451 nm, an optical band gap of approximately 2.1 eV, a mean particle size of 50.03 ± 13.51 nm and a crystallite size of 57.73 nm. To investigate the effect of AR-AgNP incorporation on DSSC performance, NiPc-based photosensitizer systems containing 0, 15 and 30 mg of AR-AgNPs were prepared. The undoped NiPc-based DSSC exhibited a power-conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.39%. The addition of 15 mg of AR-AgNPs increased the PCE to 4.01%, corresponding to a relative improvement of 18.29%. Increasing the AR-AgNPs loading to 30 mg further enhanced the PCE to 4.71%, representing a 38.94% improvement compared with the undoped NiPc-based device. These findings demonstrate that results obtained using the green synthesis method offer better hybrid DSSC performance.

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