Currently hybrid dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC) are considered as an important alternative for silicon based photovoltaics in a sector of cheap devices. Photoactive inorganic anode materials, such as ZnO, TiO₂ are generally used in these cells. But DSSCs have substantial shortcoming hampering their wide application. Specifically, the most effective cells are filled with a liquid electrolyte, and special conditions are needed for their storage and exploitation. Our work is directed on elaboration of composite structures for solid-state photovoltaic cells with ZnO photoanode having highly developed surface, which is interpenetrated with photovoltaically active organic polymer poly-3-methylthiophen (P3MT). The photoanode consisted of two electrochemically deposited ZnO layers: the first one was a dense layer contacting with conducting fluorinated thin oxide glass and the second one was a porous overlayer of ZnO nanorods. Interpenetration of P3MT chains between ZnO nanorods and a good contact of these p-type organic and n-type inorganic counterparts were realized through specific electrochemical polymerization of 3MT at the electrode covered with above-mentioned two ZnO layers. The polymerization was run in solutions of LiCIO₄ and 3MT in dry acetonitrile. The best ZnO/P3MT heterostructures were obtained at potentials ~1.2 V vs. Ag/Ag⁺ reference electrode. These photoactive heterostructures both in oxidized (conducting) and reduced (semiconducting) forms were characterized by UV-Vis and PL spectroscopy, SEM, dark and light I-V measurements. The results confirmed interaction and charge transfer between the inorganic and organic components and, in turn, testified to good perspectives of the developed interpenetrated heterostructures. It should be emphasized here that electrodeposition of all the materials from solutions in the present approach without applying high temperatures thus allows using conducting plastic films to achieve flexible photovoltaic cells also.

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