One-pot synthesis of CdSe@CdS core@shell quantum dots and their photovoltaics application in quantum-dot-sensitized ZnO nanorods

Mercaptopropanoic acid (MPA)-capped CdSe@CdS core@shell quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized in a simple one-pot aqueous route. The core@shell QDs were subsequently used to grow Qp-decorated zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorod (NR) heterostructures through the direct adsorption technique. The analysis of structural and optical properties of CdSe@CdS core@shell QDs showed that improved intensity and red shift of QD sensitizers' absorption enhanced the light harvest of QD-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) that could effectively enhance the photovoltaic performance of QDSSCs. CdSe@CdS-ZnO composite NRs showed photoactivity at a broader range of wavelength to 540 nm with a maximum incident-photon-to- current-conversion efficiency value of 52%. The photoconversion efficiency of CdSe@CdS-ZnO with a maximum value of 1.2121% was enhanced two times more than that of ZnO/CdS and ZnO/CdSe, thus demonstrating the advantage of this core@shell QD-sensitized NRs structure. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.