Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Design of TiO2 dye-sensitized solar cell photoanode electrodes with different microstructures and arrangement modes of the layers

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Different structures of TiO2 photoelectrodes were fabricated with various arrangement modes of the layers. TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by a combination of sol–gel and solvothermal methods and were employed as the active layer of solar cells. Hierarchical TiO2 spheres (HTS) and spherical TiO2 particles (STP) were also prepared by hydrothermal and sol–gel processes, respectively, and used as the scattering layer of solar cells. Field emission scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that all synthesized morphologies showed anatase structure with particle size around 20, 200–400 nm and 1.5–2.0 µm for the nanoparticles, spherical particles and hierarchical spheres, respectively. Moreover, the nanoparticles, spherical particles and hierarchical spheres had surface areas of 131.1, 5.7 and 253.5 m2/g, respectively. The optical properties of these morphologies were studied through diffuse reflectance spectroscopy analysis. The indirect optical band gap energy of the nanoparticles, spherical particles and hierarchical spheres was calculated 3.10, 3.14 and 3.13 eV, respectively. Furthermore, the light scattering particles (i.e., HTS and STP) exhibited high diffuse reflectance because of their large particle size. The improvement of power conversion efficiency of monolayer cells was achieved by light harvesting mechanism aided by controlling the thickness of the film. The monolayer solar cell made of TiO2 nanoparticles with 20 μm thickness showed the highest efficiency of 7.21 %. Further enhancement of photovoltaic performance was obtained by light scattering mechanism aided by fabrication of double-layer solar cells with different arrangement modes of the layers. The enhancement was attributed to higher incident photon-to-current conversion yield due to greater fraction of light scattering as well as less recombination of photogenerated electrons. Hierarchical spheres had the highest amount of dye adsorption, whereas spherical particles showed the greatest light scattering property. In addition, incorporation of nanoparticles into hierarchical spheres and spherical particles would lead to better connection between the particles and retard charge recombination in the photoanode. It was found that the influence of electron transport rate on cell efficiency improvement is more dominant than that of light scattering. Therefore, the double-layer solar cell made of TiO2 nanoparticles as the active layer and mixtures of nanoparticles and hierarchical particles as the scattering layer showed the highest efficiency of 8.21 % among all fabricated solar cells.

Graphical Abstract

Different structures of TiO2 photoelectrodes were fabricated with various arrangement modes of the layers containing TiO2 nanoparticles, hierarchical TiO2 spheres and spherical TiO2 particles for dye-sensitized solar cell applications.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. O′Regan B, Grätzel M (1991) A low-cost, high-efficiency solar-cell based on dye-sensitized colloidal TiO2 films. Nature 353:737–740

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Hagfeldt A, Boschloo G, Sun L, Kloo L, Pettersson H (2010) Dye-sensitized solar cells. Chem Rev 110:6595–6663

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Ito S, Murakami TN, Comte P, Liska P, Grätzel M, Nazeeruddin MK (2008) Fabrication of thin film dye sensitized solar cells with solar to electric power conversion efficiency over 10 %. Thin Solid Films 516:4613–4619

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Ambrus Z, Mogyorósi K, Ambrus Z, Szalai A, Alapi T, Demeter K, Dombi A, Sipos P (2008) Low temperature synthesis, characterization and substrate-dependent photocatalytic activity of nanocrystalline TiO2 with tailor-made rutile to anatase ratio. Appl Catal A 340:153–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Clifford JN, Palomares E, Nazeeruddin MK, Thampi R, Grätzel M, Durrant JR (2004) Multistep electron transfer processes on dye co-sensitized nanocrystalline TiO2 films. Chem Soc 126:5670–5671

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Rao CN, Deepak FL, Gundiah G, Govindaraj A (2003) Inorganic nanowires. Solid State Chem 31:5–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Zhu K, Kopidakis N, Neale NR, van de Lagemaat J, Frank AJ (2006) Influence of surface area on charge transport and recombination in dye-sensitized TiO2 solar cells. J Phys Chem B 110:25174–25180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Zhang Q, Cao G (2011) Nanostructured photoelectrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells. Nano Today 6:91–109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Nakade S, Saito Y, Kubo W, Kitamura T, Wada Y, Yanagida S (2003) Influence of TiO2 nanoparticle size on electron diffusion and recombination in dye-sensitized TiO2 solar cells. J Phys Chem B 107:8607–8611

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Usami A (1997) Theoretical study of application of multiple scattering of light to a dye-sensitized nanocrystalline photoelectrichemical cell. Chem Phys Lett 277:105–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Hore S, Vetter C, Kern R, Smit H, Hinsch A (2006) Influence of scattering layers on efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells. Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells 90:1176–1188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Zhang Q, Cao G (2001) Hierarchically structured photoelectrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells. J Mater Chem 21:6769–6774

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Lin YP, Lin SY, Lee YC, Chen-Yang TW (2013) High surface area electron prickle-like hierarchical anatase TiO2 nanofibers for dye-sensitized solar cell photoanodes. J Mater Chem A 1:9875–9884

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Wu YC, Tai YC (2013) Effects of alcohol solvents on anatase TiO2 nanocrystals prepared by microwave-assisted solvothermal method. J Nanoparticle Res 15:1686–1696

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Jiang XC, Herricks T, Xia YN (2003) Monodispersed spherical colloids of titania synthesis, characterization, and crystallization. Adv Mater 15:1205–1208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Zheng Z, Huang B, Qin X, Zhang X, Dai Y (2010) Strategic synthesis of hierarchical TiO2 microspheres with enhanced photocatalytic activity. Chem Eur J 16:11266–11270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Mohammadi MR, Louca RRM, Fray DJ, Welland ME (2012) Dye-sensitized solar cells based on a single layer deposition of TiO2 from a new formulation paste and their photovoltaic performance. Sol Energy 86:2654–2664

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Ito S, Liska P, Pechy P, Bach U, Nazeeruddin MK, Kay A, Zekeeruddin SM, Grätzel M (2005) Control of dark current in photoelectrochemical (TiO2/I−–I3 −) and dye-sensitized solar cells. Chem Commun 34:4351–4353

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Nazeeruddin MK, Kay A, Rodicio I, Humphry-Baker R, Muller E, Liska P, Vlachopoulos N, Grätzel M (1993) Conversion of light to electricity by cis-X2bis (2,2′-bipyridyl-4,4′-dicarboxylate) ruthenium(II) charge-transfer sensitizers on nanocrystalline titanium dioxide electrodes. J Am Chem Soc 115:6382–6390

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Cullity BD (1977) Elements of X-ray diffraction, 2nd edn. Addison-Wesley, San Diego

    Google Scholar 

  21. Sing KSW, Everet DH, Haul RAW, Moscou L, Pierotti RA, Rouquerol J, Siemieniewska T (1985) Reporting physisorption data for gas/solid systems with special reference to the determination of surface area and porosity. Pure Appl Chem 57:603–619

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Yang L, Lin Y, Jia J, Xiao X, Li X, Zhou X (2008) Light harvesting enhancement for dye-sensitized solar cells by novel anode containing cauliflower-like TiO2 spheres. J Power Sources 182:370–376

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Tauc J (1974) Amorphous and liquid semiconductors. Plenum Press, London

    Book  Google Scholar 

  24. Lin H, Huang CP, Li W, Ni C, Ismat Shah S, Tseng YH (2006) Size dependency of nanocrystalline TiO2 on its optical property and photocatalytic reactivity exemplified by 2-chlorophenol. Appl Catal B Environ 68:1–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Dittrich T (2000) Porous TiO2: electron transport and application to dye sensitized injection solar cells. Stat Sol 182:447–455

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Diamant Y, Chen SG, Melamed O, Zaban A (2003) Core-shell nanoporous electrode for dye sensitized solar cells: the effect of the SrTiO3 shell on the electronic properties of the TiO2 core. J Phys Chem B 107:1977–1981

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Feigenbrugel V, Loew C, Calvé SL, Mirabel P (2005) Near-UV molar absorptivities of acetone, alachlor, metolachlor, diazinon and dichlorvos in aqueous solution. J Photochem Photobiol A Chem 174:76–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Fotsa Ngaffo F, Caricato AP, Fernandez M, Martino M, Romano F (2007) Structural properties of single and multilayer ITO and TiO2 films deposited by reactive pulsed laser ablation deposition technique. Appl Surf Sci 253:6508–6511

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Park NG, Vande Lagemaat J, Frank AJ (2000) Comparison of dye-sensitized rutile- and anatase-based TiO2 solar cells. J Phys Chem B 104:8989–8994

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Barbe CJ, Arendse F, Comte P, Jirousek M, Lenzmann F, Shklover V, Grätzel M (1997) Nanocrystalline titanium oxide electrodes for photovoltaic applications. J Am Ceram Soc 80:3157–3171

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

M. R. Mohammadi wishes to thank the financial support from Iran National Science Foundation (INSF).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Azadi Street, Tehran, Iran

    Z. Andaji Garmaroudi & M. R. Mohammadi

Authors
  1. Z. Andaji Garmaroudi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. R. Mohammadi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. R. Mohammadi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Garmaroudi, Z.A., Mohammadi, M.R. Design of TiO2 dye-sensitized solar cell photoanode electrodes with different microstructures and arrangement modes of the layers. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 76, 666–678 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-015-3819-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-015-3819-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation