Dye-sensitized solar cells based on TiO2 nanotube/porous layer mixed morphology (original) (raw)
Related papers
Current Applied Physics, 2011
The porous nanotubes were successfully fabricated by coating a porous layer on the walls of the TiO 2 nanotubes. This method was proved available for effectively increasing the specific surface area of the nanotubes. The DSSCs based on such porous nanotubes has a higher conversion efficiency than that of the DSSCs using common TiO 2 nanotubes. This could be explained by the enhanced loading of dye molecules on porous TiO 2 nanotubes, which resulted in the improvement of short-circuit current. The light to electric energy conversion efficiency of the DSSCs applying porous TiO 2 nanotubes is about 1.79% nearly two times higher than that of the DSSCs based on normal TiO 2 nanotubes.
Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A-chemistry, 2004
Nanocrystalline titania containing nanotube structure (TiNT) was synthesized by surfactant-assisted templating mechanism using tetraisopropyl orthotitanate (TIPT) modified with acethylacetone (ACA)/laurylamine hydrochloride (LAHC). The electrode of dye-sensitized solar cell using TiNT exhibited higher short-circuit photocurrent density (Jsc) and solar energy conversion efficiency (η) than that of P25 titania electrode in thin film region. To obtain highly efficient cell, the thickness of
Materials Chemistry and Physics, 2011
Anatase titania nanotubes (TNTs) have been synthesized from P25 TiO 2 powder by alkali hydrothermal method followed by post annealing. The microstructure analysis by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the formation of anatase nanotubes with a diameter of 9-10 nm. These NTs are used to make photo anode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Layer by layer deposition with curing of each layer at 350 • C is employed to realize films of desired thickness. The performance of these cells is studied using photovoltaic measurements. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is used to quantitatively analyze the effect of thickness on the performance of these cells. These studies revealed that the thickness of TiO 2 has a pronounced impact on the cell performance and the optimum thickness lies in the range of 10-14 m. In comparison to dye solar cells made of P25, TNTs based cells exhibit an improved open circuit voltage and fill factor (FF) due to an increased electron lifetime, as revealed by EIS analysis.
Titania Nanostructures for Dye-sensitized Solar Cells
Nano-micro Letters, 2012
Titania is one kind of important materials, which has been extensively investigated because of its unique electronic and optical properties. Research efforts have largely focused on the optimization of the dye, but recently the titania nanostructures electrode itself has attracted more attention. It has been shown that particle size, shape, crystallinity, surface morphology, and chemistry of the TiO2 material are key parameters which should be controlled for optimized performance of the solar cell. Titania can be found in different shape of nanostructures including mesoporous, nanotube, nanowire, and nanorod structures. The present article reviews the structural, synthesis, electronic, and optical properties of TiO2 nanostructures for dye sensitized solar cells.
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Letters, 2012
Morphology of titanium substrate exhibited significant impact on the growth of titanium dioxide nanotubes (TiO 2 NTs) and their photovoltaic performance in dye-sensitized solar cells. Scanning electron microscopy studies showed that the surface of as-purchased Ti foil had numerous cracks ranging from dozens of nanometers up to 5 m in width leading to the formation of TiO 2 NT bundles after anodization. A short time etching of titanium substrate in 0.75 M HF aqueous solution removed the cracks and generated localized flat surface, which led to the growth of TiO 2 NTs in different directions. Long time anodization of those etched substrate resulted in highly ordered, bundle-free TiO 2 NTs, which exhibited 60% increase of power conversion efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cells.
Titania nanotubes based Dye Sensitized Solar Cells
ii Declaration I declare that this written submission represents my ideas in my own words and where others' ideas or words have been included, I have adequately cited and referenced the original sources. I also declare that I have adhered to all principles of academic honesty and integrity and have not misrepresented or fabricated or falsified any idea/data/fact/source in my submission. I understand that any violation of the above will be cause for disciplinary action by the Institute and can also evoke penal action from the sources which have thus not been properly cited or from whom proper permission has not been taken when needed.
Electrochemistry Communications, 2009
In the present work we investigate the effect of TiCl 4 treatments on the photoconversion efficiency of TiO 2 arrays used in dye sensitized solar cell. The results clearly show that by an appropriate treatment the decoration of the TiO 2 nanotube arrays with TiO 2 nanocrystallites of a typical size of 3 nm can be achieved. These particles can be converted to mixture of anatase and rutile phase by annealing in air. This decoration of the TiO 2 nanotubes leads to a significantly higher specific dye loading and, for certain annealing treatments, to a doubling of the solar cell efficiency (in our case from 1.9% to 3.8% of AM 1.5 conditions) can be achieved.
Electrochemistry Communications, 2006
The titanate nanotubes were synthesized by hydrothermal process using commercial titania nanoparticles. Subsequently, the titanate nanotubes film was fabricated at room temperature on FTO (F-SnO 2 coated glass) substrates using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method at 40 V. The titanate nanotubes and the films were characterized with field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The average lengths of these nanotubes are few hundreds of nanometers and diameters 10-20 nm, with reasonably dense and uniform film. It was found that during EPD, the intercalated sodium (Na) from the titanate nanotubes was removed, as confirmed by XRD and EDX studies. Finally, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) were prepared, after annealing the film from 450°C to 550°C, on using the two types of the films fabricated by electrophoretic deposition and doctor-blade method. It was observed that the open circuit voltage (V oc ) in all the cases was 0.8 V, with incident radiation intensity adjusted to AM-1.5. The solar cell corresponding to electrodeposited titanate nanotubes annealed at 500°C showed a photocurrent density (I sc ) of 15.67 mA/cm 2 (g = 6.71%). The solar cell fabricated with doctor-blade method using titanate nanotubes, annealed at 450°C shows much lower photocurrent density 1.31 mA/cm 2 (g = 0.65%), due to non-conversion of titanate nanotubes to titania, intercalated sodium and poor interfacial adhesion between titanate nanotubes and FTO substrate.
TiO 2 nanotube arrays and TiO 2 -nanotube-array based dye-sensitized solar cell
Chinese Science Bulletin, 2007
To substitute the non-regular nano-crystalline semiconductor for a novel kind of ordered microstructure is a very important aspect in the domain of dye-sensitized solar cell. One of the researching hotspots is the highly-ordered TiO 2 nanotube architecture. As a new type of titania nano-material, titania nanotube arrays have drawn extraordinary attention due to its distinctive morphology, notable photoelectrical and hydro-sensitive performance. At 100% sun the new kind of TiO 2 nanotube arrays solar cell exhibits an overall conversion efficiency of 5.44%. This paper introduces the preparation methods of titania nanotube arrays, the existing problems and recent progress in titania nanotube arrays solar cell.