The effect of counter on thin film ZnO nanorods on the performance of solar cell based on photoelectrochemical cell

Energy consumption is increasing day by day due to human mobility. Fossil energy, which is usually used as the primary source of electrical energy, is less efficient because the availability of fossils is running low and cannot be renewed. So it is necessary to switch to the use of renewable energy that is abundant and environmentally friendly. Photoelectrochemical technology (PEC) is a prime candidate used to solve this problem. ZnO in the form of nanorods (NRs) can increase the conversion efficiency of PEC performance due to its large surface area. However, the liquid electrolytes in photoelectrochemical technology (PEC) can cause corrosion so that the stability of the resulting current is reduced and the life of the photoelectrochemical cell (PEC) is shortened. This research uses Yttria Stabilized Zirconia stability as solid electrolyte to reduce the corrosion combined with counter variations in the form of Activated Carbon (AC) and Graphene. Samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, UV-VIS, and I-V tests. The XRD results showed the crystallinity of the YSZ and ZnO nanorods. The SEM results show that the average particle size distribution of the PEC ZnO NRs/YSZ films is 121 nm. Finally, Graphene as a counter showed higher efficiency compared to AC, which is 0.4%.