ZnO sensitization by polymethine dye in photoelectrochemical cells for solar energy conversion

By sintering ZnO powder mixed with ethylene glycol, electrodes on a glass substrate with a conductive SnO2 layer were obtained. In parallel, Ti/TiO2 electrodes were obtained by anodizing a titanium foil. Electrodes based on ZnO and TiO2 were sensitized to visible light with a cationic polymethine dye. The analysis of the photoelectrochemical characteristics of the obtained electrodes showed that the dye-sensitized ZnO films in the wavelength range of 450–650 nm have a photocurrent quantum yield two-fold higher compared with TiO2. In this way, a hybrid dye-ZnO structure sensitive to visible light was formed, which can be used for the photoelectrochemical cells for solar energy conversion, as well as for the detection of DNA and proteins in biological sensors.