The effect of two different types of polysulfide solvents (i.e., distilled water and methanol) was investigated for zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) based quantum dots sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). This was mainly depending upon how easily the injection of electrons in the conduction band of CdS particles to the ZrO2 photoanode. Compared to that with methanol solvent-based polysulfide, distilled water-based polysulfide (S 2− /Sn 2−) electrolytes have efficient electron transportation characteristics at the interface of ZrO2/CdS photoanode and carbon counter electrode. Solar cell efficiency using distilled water-based polysulfide for ZrO2/CdS reaches 1%. The catalytic reaction due to incorporation of polysulfide solvents positively affects the solar cell performance as evident from Nyquist plots. Distilled water-based polysulfide electrolyte has significant impacts on the overall performance of QDSSCs.

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In the present study, cadmium sulphide (CdS) quantum dot-sensitized ZrO2 photoanodes have been analysed by using the facial and cost-effective method, popularly known as successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR), performed at 300 K. The presence of compact layer and ZnS treatment of the as-prepared photoanode is studied in this article to improve the solar cell parameters. The X-ray diffraction peaks infer the nano-crystalline nature of ZrO2 films with an average particle size of 39.14 nm. The CdS-sensitized ZrO2 films show a significant increase in absorption of photons in the visible region (i.e., 200 to 520 nm) of the absorption spectrum, as we have increased the number of SILAR cycles. Poly-sulphide electrolytes have been prepared in double distilled water and carbon black soot on conducting substrate is used as a counter electrode to be economical. The J–V characteristic of 10 CdS/ZrO2 with a compact layer of TiO2 with surface passivation (ZnS) treatment gives the maximum Jsc of 1.46 mA/cm2 with a fill factor of 0.34 and conversion efficiency of 0.46%. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of the quantum dot-sensitized solar cell is studied to understand the kinetics of charge transfer and transport processes mechanisms involved.

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