Metal Oxide Based Nanocomposites for Solar Energy Harvesting

In recent years, the development of industrialization and the increasing population has increased energy consumption across the globe. So, there is a need for green and sustainable energy generation from solar cells with greater efficiency. Photovoltaic (PV) technology with improved performance is going to be a gamechanger in resolving the energy crisis in an eco-friendly and more sustainable manner. Widely used silicon (Si) based PVs are relatively expensive due to strong requirements for the high purity of crystalline semiconductors. The Si wafer cost covers 50% of the total cost of the align="center"module. In this regard, metal oxidebased semiconductors are stable and environment-friendly materials that are used in photovoltaics as photoelectrodes in dye solar cells (DSCs), quantum dot sensitized solar cells, and build metal oxide p–n junctions. This chapter comprehensively discusses the most recent progress in metal oxide semiconductors in alternative type solar cells, in particular dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). 

Keywords: Bandgap, Dye-sensitized solar cells, Efficiency, Electron mobility, Metal oxides, Nanorod and nanotube, Photoanode, Semiconductor.