In present study, hollow urchin-like nanostructures of Nb₂O₅ with elongated nanofilaments as photoanode material for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are successfully synthesized at different reaction times (viz. 12, 24, and 40 h, respectively, named as samples NB-1, NB-2, and NB-3) using facile hydrothermal route. We have studied the significant influence of hydrothermal reaction time on the structural, optical, morphological, and electrical properties. The photovoltaic performance of different samples is understood from response of current-potential (J-V) curve and incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) while charge recombination behavior and resistance of the cells are studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The X-ray diffraction (XRD) study shows the orthorhombic crystalline form for the synthesized samples. Electron microscopy studies confirm the formation of porous spherical morphology with hairy filaments protruding outward. Size of urchin-like particle is found to be in the range of about 1 μm diameter, and the filaments emerging out from the surface of hollow spheres are seen to be 30–70 nm long and 5–20 nm in diameter. The DSSCs fabricated from the resultant nanostructures show the better photovoltaic performance with Nb₂O₅ sample synthesized at 24-h reaction time. The J_sc and efficiency for NB-2 are 8.24 mAcm⁻² and 3.58% respectively, which are better than corresponding samples synthesized at the reaction time of 12 h and 40 h, respectively. These photovoltaic results obtained from the DSSCs fabricated using Nb₂O₅ nanostructures are comparatively exciting with TiO₂ spheres. By further optimizing reaction conditions, it is expected that niobium pentoxide can emerge as better semiconductor oxide for photovoltaic and optical devices.

Hydrothermal synthesis of novel hollow urchin-like spheres of Nb₂O₅ with hairy surface and employed as photoanodes in DSSCs with enhanced photovoltaic parameters.

在本研究中，成功地在不同的反应时间（分别为12、24和40小时）成功合成了具有细长纳米丝的Nb ₂ O ₅空心海胆状纳米结构，作为染料敏化太阳能电池（DSSC）的光阳极材料。 （例如NB-1，NB-2和NB-3）作为样品）。我们研究了水热反应时间对结构，光学，形态和电学性质的重大影响。从电流电位（J - V曲线和入射光子电流效率（IPCE），同时通过电化学阻抗谱（EIS）研究电池的电荷重组行为和电阻。X射线衍射（XRD）研究显示了合成样品的正交晶体形式。电子显微镜研究证实了多孔球形形态的形成，毛状细丝向外突出。发现类海胆颗粒的直径在大约1μm的直径范围内，从空心球表面出来的细丝长30-70 nm，直径5-20 nm。由所得纳米结构制成的DSSC在24小时反应时间合成的Nb ₂ O ₅样品中显示出更好的光伏性能。该Ĵ _SCNB-2的效率为8.24 mAcm ^-2，而NB-2的效率为3.58％，分别优于12 h和40 h反应时间合成的相应样品。从使用Nb ₂ O ₅纳米结构制造的DSSC获得的这些光伏结果与TiO ₂球相比令人兴奋。通过进一步优化反应条件，预计五氧化二铌将作为光伏和光学设备的更好的半导体氧化物出现。

Nb ₂ O ₅新颖的空心表面具有毛状表面的海胆类空心球的水热合成，在具有增强光伏参数的DSSC中用作光阳极。