International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 6, Issue 10, October 2016 26 ISSN 2250-3153 www.ijsrp.org Synthesis and Characterization of ɣ-Fe 2 O 3 Nanoparticles Photo anode by Novel Method for Dye Sensitized Solar cell Dhia H. Hussain,Hussain I. Abdulah, Ahmed M. Rheima Department of chemistry, College of Science, University of AL-Mustansiriya Abstract- Pure ɣ-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles are prepared by photo irradiation method using complexes solution of iron and successfully used as a photo anode for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The samples were characterized by using powder XRD, SEM, TEM, UV- Visible and Current-Voltage curve. Results show that nanoparticles have uniform cubic shape with average size of 17 to 26 nm and it is applied to fabricate novel Dye solar cell which has energy conversion efficiency about 4.13 % by (ITO/ Ɣ-Fe 2 O 3 Np s / Dye (Rhodamine 6 G) /iodine / Ag film / ITO). I. INTRODUCTION nergy is one of the most challenging needs of mankind, and is highest on the list of priorities and requisites for human welfare. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), World’s primary energy demand will increase by γ6% between β008 and 2035. Electricity demand is expected to grow by 2.2% per year between 2008 and 2035. Taking in account the carbon dioxide emissions and the global climate change impact on life and the health of the planet. Renewable energy sources will have to play a central role in moving the world onto a more secure, reliable, and sustainable energy path (1,2) . Solar energy is the most inexhaustible, abundant and clean of all the renewable energy resources till date. Dye solar cell has been attracted much attention because it low cost, possible fabrications of flexible devices, and relatively efficient devices for the conversion of solar energy (3) . In order to develop Dye solar cell with excellent photovoltaic properties, researchers have tried to control the nanostructure and morphology of metal oxides photo-electrodes (4) . Iron oxide nanoparticles is one of the important oxides, which has many of applications (5-13) . There are many forms of iron oxide crystalline phases, which include: Hematite α-Fe 2 O 3 ,ȕ-Fe 2 O 3 , MaghemiteȖ-Fe 2 O 3 , Epsilon Fe 2 O 3 andMagnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ). Ȗ-Fe 2 O 3 is a red-brown (14) . compound and is the second most stable polymorph of iron (III) oxide. The band gap of bulk Ȗ - Fe 2 O 3 is 2.22 eV and 2.43 eV for the nano crystalline form. Of the known Fe 2 O 3 polymorphs, Ȗ-Fe 2 O 3 is regarded as the most practically important and useful due to its simple synthesis and the interesting magnetic characteristics of its nano sized objects (15) . Ȗ- Fe 2 O 3 occurs naturally in soils as a weathering product of Fe 3 O 4 , to which it is structurally related (16) . II. EXPERIMENTAL All chemical were used without any purification, Irradiation cell, fig (2-1) was used to irradiate complexes of iron as sources of iron oxide nanoparticles. Immersed UV source (125 W mercury medium pressure lamp) was used with maximum light intensity at 365 nm. The cell contains a quartz tube as a jacket for immersion UV source in the complex solution of iron. Pyrex tube was used as a reactor. The reactor was cooled by ice bath to avoid the rising in temperature as a result of the UV irradiation. A B Fig (2-1) A: photo irradiation cell, B:uv.visble spectrum of medium pressure mercury E