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Bacteriorhodopsin-sensitized preferentially oriented one-dimensional TiO2 nanorod polymorphs as efficient photoanodes for high-performance bio-sensitized solar cells

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Abstract

Different length of preferentially oriented anatase and rutile TiO2 nanorods (NR) were grown via simple one-step hydrothermal technique and used as photoanodes for bio-sensitized solar cell (BSSCs) fabrication. The dependency of bio-sensitization and photoconversion process with phase, electrolyte and aspect ratio of one-dimensional TiO2 NR was evaluated. Photovoltaic and charge transport properties of (R/A-TiO2NR: LE/QSE:Pt) BSSCs with liquid (LE) and quasi-state electrolyte (QSE) were examined through current–voltage curves and impedance analysis. Interestingly, anatase TiO2 NR photoanodes show higher bio-sensitization (45.40 µmol cm−2, 101.83 µmol cm−2), superior photoconversion (0.72%, 0.84%) and reduced charge transfer resistance (539.70 Ω cm2, 168.20 Ω cm2) than rutile TiO2 NR photoanodes. More importantly, the photocurrent density of anatase TiO2 NR photoanodes gradually increased with length of the NRs and reaches maximum (LE → Jsc = 1.21 mA cm−2, QSE → Jsc = 1.39 mA cm−2) at a longer length (A4 6.79 µm) NRs which is ~ 17% higher than rutile TiO2 NRs photoanodes. (A-TiO2NR: QSE:Pt) BSSCs assembly notably reinforces the photovoltaic performance due to the combined effect of one-dimensional nanostructured TiO2 photoanodes (channelized electron transport, light scattering ability), bacteriorhodopsin (light harvesting, vectorial proton pumping), boosted bio-absorption (BR sensitization) and charge collection of the BSSCs.

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Acknowledgements

This work is financially supported by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India under the DST-SERB Startup Grant Scheme (Grant no. SB/FTP/PS-038/2014). The author CJ wishes to acknowledge the University Grants Commission Government of India for providing UGC-SAP (RFMS) fellowship to carry out his research work (Grant no. F.4-1/2006(BSR)/7-197/2007). The author SA also wishes to thank Solar Energy Research Initiative (SERI)—Department of Technology (DST), India (DST/TM/SERI/S32) for the financial support.

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  1. Nanophotonics Laboratory, School of Physics, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, 620024, India

    C. Jeganathan & T. C. Sabari Girisun

  2. Nanomaterials and Solar Energy Conversion Lab, Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, 620015, India

    S. Vijaya & S. Anandan

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  1. C. Jeganathan
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  2. T. C. Sabari Girisun
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  3. S. Vijaya
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Jeganathan, C., Sabari Girisun, T.C., Vijaya, S. et al. Bacteriorhodopsin-sensitized preferentially oriented one-dimensional TiO2 nanorod polymorphs as efficient photoanodes for high-performance bio-sensitized solar cells. Appl Nanosci 9, 189–208 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13204-018-0905-7

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