Browsing by Author "Ekinci, Arzu"

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Facile synthesis and comprehensive characterization of Ni-decorated amine groups-immobilized Fe3O4@SiO2 magnetic nanoparticles having enhanced solar cell efficiency
(Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics, 2021) Ece, Mehmet Şakir; Ekinci, Arzu; Kutluay, Sinan; Şahin, Ömer; Horoz, Sabit
In this study, the synthesis and comprehensive characterization of Fe3O4@SiO2 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) immobilized with L-Arginine decorated with nickel (Ni) was achieved, and their ability in solar cell efficiency was evaluated. Fe3O4, Fe3O4@SiO2, Fe3O4@SiO2@L-Arginine and Fe3O4@SiO2@L-Arginine-Ni MNPs were prepared by co-precipitation and sol-gel methods. The structural, morphological, optical and textural properties of the prepared MNPs were clarified by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Energy-Dispersive X-Ray (EDX), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) analyzes. From the BET data, it is understood that the specific surface area of the prepared Fe3O4, Fe3O4@SiO2 and Fe3O4@SiO2@L–Arginine MNPs is 60.85, 28.99 and 29.84 m2/g, respectively. From the pore size distribution determined by Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) method, it was understood that the pore radius of Fe3O4, Fe3O4@SiO2 and Fe3O4@SiO2@L–Arginine MNPs were in the range of mesopore and the average pore radius was equal to approximately 11.03, 9.11 and 28.45 nm, respectively. It is assumed that the half pore widths calculated by the density functional theory (DFT) method of the prepared of Fe3O4, Fe3O4@SiO2 and Fe3O4@SiO2@L-Arginine MNPs are 5.58, ∼ 0.88, and ∼ 17.98 nm, respectively. The energy band gap of the prepared MNPs with spinel structure was determined as approximately 3.10 eV. In addition to the structural, morphological, optical and textural properties, the photovoltaic properties of the prepared MNPs were examined. Au/CuO/Fe3O4@SiO2@L–Arginine-Ni/ZnO/SnO2:F solar cell device was created by using existing Fe3O4@SiO2@L–Arginine-Ni MNPs as buffer layer. The power conversion efficiency (%) of the prepared Fe3O4@SiO2@L–Arginine-Ni MNPs based solar cell device was calculated as 1.84 %. This numerical result shows that the prepared Fe3O4@SiO2@L-Arginine-Ni MNPs can be used as a promising buffer layer in a solar structure.
Highly improved solar cell efficiency of Mn-doped amine groups-functionalized magnetic Fe3O4@SiO2 nanomaterial
(Wiley Online Library, 2021) Kutluay, Sinan; Horoz, Sabit; Şahin, Ömer; Ekinci, Arzu
Herein, magnetic Fe3O4@SiO2 nanomaterial functionalized with amine groups (Fe3O4@SiO2@IPA) doped with manganese (Mn) was prepared, characterized and used for solar cell application. Fe3O4@SiO2@IPA-Mn was prepared via the co-precipitation and sol-gel techniques. Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements were performed to examine the structure of Fe3O4, Fe3O4@SiO2, Fe3O4@SiO2@IPA and Fe3O4@SiO2@IPA-Mn. General morphology and textural properties of the prepared magnetic nanomaterials were clarified by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In addition, Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to have a knowledge about the energy band gap and thermal behavior of the prepared magnetic nanomaterials. The energy band gap of Fe3O4@SiO2@IPA with spinel structure was determined as approximately 2.48 eV. It was understood that Fe3O4, Fe3O4@SiO2 and Fe3O4@SiO2@IPA showed type IV-H3 hysteresis cycle according to IUPAC. From the BET data, it was determined that the specific surface areas of Fe3O4, Fe3O4@SiO2 and Fe3O4@SiO2@IPA were 60.85, 28.99 and 40.41 m(2)/g, respectively. The pore size distributions of Fe3O4, Fe3O4@SiO2 and Fe3O4@SiO2@IPA were calculated as 8.55, 1.53 and 1.70 nm, respectively, by the BJH method. Also, it was observed that the dominant pore widths of Fe3O4, Fe3O4@SiO2 and Fe3O4@SiO2@IPA were calculated similar to 5.58, similar to 0.88 and similar to 17.92 nm, respectively, by the DFT method. Au/CuO/Fe3O4@SiO2@IPA-Mn/ZnO/SnO2: F solar cell device was created using existing Fe3O4@SiO2@IPA-Mn as a buffer layer. The power conversion efficiency (%) of Fe3O4@SiO2@IPA-Mn based solar cell device was calculated as 2.054. This finding suggest that Fe3O4@SiO2@IPA-Mn can be used as a promising sensitizer in solar cell technology. Moreover, in this study, the effectiveness of the modification of manganese (one of the transition metals, which is cheap and easily available) with magnetic nanomaterials in the use of solar cell technology was demonstrated for the first time.