Synthesis of Hierarchical Zn 2 SnO 4 Crossbar Leaf‐Like Structures for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells and Photocatalytic Applications

The potential uses of hierarchical ZTO leaf‐like structures (ZTO‐CL) as photoanodes for dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and as photocatalysts were examined. ZTO‐CL particles were produced by a simple solvothermal method. The structural and morphological characterizations confirmed the formation of crystalline cubic ZTO with a unique interconnected hierarchical architecture, with a specific surface area of 44 m 2 g −1 and well‐resolved lattice fringes related to the (311) crystal plane orientation. The photovoltaic performance of ZTO‐CL photoanodes sensitized with D149 and N719 dyes under AM 1.5G light was studied. The device sensitized by D149 showed a better power conversion efficiency of 3.00% compared to 2.20% for the N719‐based device, due to increased loading and more effective interfacial charge transfer. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy indicated that the interfacial charge‐transfer resistance was significantly lower than that of N719‐based devices, suggesting suppressed charge recombination. Poor crystal violet degradation was observed in the photocatalytic tests, which proved the inherently poor photocatalytic activity of ZTO‐CL. These characteristics make ZTO‐CL a promising candidate as an efficient top scattering layer photoanode material for DSSCs and also suggest its suitability for applications requiring chemically stable, low‐reactivity oxide materials under UV light.