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Synthesis of dispersed long single-crystalline TiO2 paste and its application in DSSC as a scattering layer

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Abstract

TiO2 nanowire (NW) is one of the potential scattering layer materials in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) owing to its fast electron conductivity and excellent light scattering property resulting from its one-dimensional (1D) morphology. However, TiO2 NWs used as scattering layers in previous works were either aggregated or shortened into shuttles that cannot use their unique 1D properties. In this paper, we present the preparation of a well-dispersed long NW paste (exceeding 1 mm) by a mild method and used as a scattering layer in DSSC. The paste achieved a photoconversion efficiency of 5.73% and an efficiency enhancement of 12% compared with commercial scattering layer (P200 paste). Compared with the DSSC without a scattering layer, an efficiency enhancement of 54.9% was achieved. Also, the largest efficiency of 6.89% was obtained after optimization of photoanode thickness. The photoanodes were investigated through dye desorbed experiments and transmission spectra, which suggested that P25 nanoparticles with the as-prepared NW scattering layer loaded more dye than those with P200 paste. These results indicate that well-dispersed long NW paste has a potential application in scattering layers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices of Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China

    Longwei Li, Huarong Xia, Jia Li, Wentao Sun & Lianmao Peng

  2. College of Electric and Information Engineering, Pingdingshan University, Pingdingshan, 467000, China

    Nai Wen

  3. Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China

    Longwei Li, Wentao Sun & Lianmao Peng

  4. Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China

    Huarong Xia, Jia Li & Lianmao Peng

Authors
  1. Longwei Li
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  2. Nai Wen
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  3. Huarong Xia
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  4. Jia Li
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  5. Wentao Sun
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  6. Lianmao Peng
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Correspondence to Wentao Sun or Lianmao Peng.

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Li, L., Wen, N., Xia, H. et al. Synthesis of dispersed long single-crystalline TiO2 paste and its application in DSSC as a scattering layer. Sci. China Chem. 58, 1501–1507 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-015-5356-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-015-5356-3

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