Photoelectrochemical characterization of squaraine-sensitized nickel oxide cathodes deposited via screen-printing for p-type dye-sensitized solar cells

Screen-printing method has been adopted for the deposition of nickel oxide thin film electrodes with mesoporous features. Nickel oxide was sensitized with three newly synthesized squaraines (VG1C8,VG10C8 and DS2/35) and employed as photoelectroactive cathode of p-type dye-sensitized solar cells. Colorant erythrosine b (EB) was taken as commercial benchmark for comparative purposes. Sensitization was successful with the attainment of overall conversion efficiencies in the order of 0.025% when the mesoporous surface of nickel oxide was alkali treated. The prolongation of nickel oxide sensitization time up to 16h led to a general increase of the open circuit voltage in the corresponding solar cells. •We deposited nickel oxide with screen-printing technique utilizing nickel oxide nanoparticles.•We employed screen-printed nickel oxide as cathodes of p-DSCs.•We employed new squaraine as sensitizers of screen-printed nickel oxide.•Further progress is expected when the formulation of the screen-printing paste will be optimized. In the present paper we report on the employment of the screen-printing method for the deposition of nickel oxide (NiOx) layers when preformed nanoparticles of the metal oxide (diameter