^aDepartment of Physics, The University of Lahore, 53700, Pakistan

^bNational Center for Physics, Islamabad, Pakistan

^cInstitute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key

Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Soochow

University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China

^dDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX

79409, USA

e

Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud

University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia

To enhance the performance of flexible dye-sensitized solar cells (FDSSCs), zinc oxide (ZnO) powder is prepared using the hydrothermal method and spin-coated onto plastic substrates. The films are implanted with H+ ions at three fluencies (1×1013, 1×1014, and 1×1015 ions/cm2). XRD results reveal the hexagonal (wurtzite) structure with improved crystallinity. SRIM software analyzed that with an increasing ion dose, vacancies are increased. UV-Vis shows increased bandgap energy. PL confirms reduced recombination rates. Photovoltaic measurements of FDSSCs demonstrate significantly enhanced efficiency (2.86%) at 1×1014 ions/cm2 fluence. EIS confirms the suppression of charge recombination and reduced charge transport resistance.