Triple‐Yolked ZnO/CdS Hollow Spheres for Semiconductor‐Sensitized Solar Cells

A new kind of complex hollow structure, ZnO/CdS triple‐yolked hollow spheres (TYs), is prepared using a facile method. The formation mechanism is described in terms of a combined effect of the bubble‐assisted Ostwald ripening and appropriate ion‐exchange processes. The structural effect of ZnO hollow microspheres on the energy conversion efficiency is investigated. The uniqueness of TYs morphology leads to a 37% enhancement in energy conversion efficiency for SSSCs, as compared with single‐shelled hollow spheres. The method using controlled ZnO/CdS yolk‐in‐shell structures in SSSCs presents obvious advantages in the generation of light scattering and makes full use of the internal structures of the photoelectrode. It also provides a feasible synthetic approach for fabrication of other complex hollow structures made of multicomponent functional heteromaterials.