Abstract
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated using TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs), TiO2 nanotube arrays (NTAs), and surface-modified NTAs with a TiCl4 treatment. The photovoltaic efficiencies of the DSSCs using TiO2 NP, NTA, and TiCl4-treated NTA electrodes are 4.25, 4.74, and 7.47 %, respectively. The highest performance was observed with a TiCl4-treated TiO2 NTA photoanode, although in the case of the latter two electrodes, the amounts of N719 dye adsorbed were similar and 68 % of that of the NP electrode. Electrochemical impedance measurements show that the overall resistance, including the charge–transfer resistance, was smaller with NTA morphologies than with NP morphologies. We suggest that a different electron transfer mechanism along the one-dimensional nanostructure of the TiO2 NTAs contributes to the smaller charge–transfer resistance, resulting in a higher short circuit current (J sc), even at lower dye adsorption. Furthermore, the TiCl4-treated NTAs showed even smaller charge–transfer resistance, resulting in the highest J sc value, because the downward shift in the conduction band edge improves the electron injection efficiency from the excited dye into the TiCl4-treated TiO2 electrodes.
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This research was supported by the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) institutional program.
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Lee, S.H., Chae, S.Y., Hwang, Y.J. et al. Influence of TiO2 nanotube morphology and TiCl4 treatment on the charge transfer in dye-sensitized solar cells. Appl. Phys. A 112, 733–737 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-013-7786-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-013-7786-0