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Layer-by-Layer Titanium (IV) Chloride Treatment of TiO2 Films to Improve Solar Energy Harvesting in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

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Abstract

A layer-by-layer titanium (IV) chloride treatment was applied on different layers of TiO2 in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The effects were analysed and compared with standard untreated devices. A significant increase in short-circuit current density (JSC) was observed by employing layer-by-layer TiCl4 treatment of TiO2 in DSSCs. This increase of JSC is attributed to the increased inter-particle connectivity and increase in TiO2 nanoparticle size, resulting in better electron transfer and a lower charge carrier recombination rate. The DSSC fabricated with layer-by-layer-treated TiO2 achieved power conversion efficiency of 8.3%, which is significantly higher than the 6.7% achieved for the DSSC fabricated without TiCl4 treatment. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was performed to assess the better performance of the device fabricated with TiCl4 treatment. Atomic force microscopy and surface roughness were studied to visualize and statistically determine the function of TiCl4 treatment on different layers of TiO2. Transient photocurrent and transient photovoltage measurements were also performed to gain insight into interfacial charge carrier recombination.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the financial support extended by Dongguan University of Technology, China. This project was also supported by HEC Pakistan and US National Academy of Sciences, under the PAK-US Science and Technology Cooperation Program, Phase-V, project number 5-530/PAK-US/HEC/2013/193.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Electrical Engineering and Intelligentization, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan, 523808, China

    Syed Afaq Ali Shah & Zhongyi Guo

  2. Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, Topi District Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 23640, Pakistan

    Muhammad Hassan Sayyad

  3. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Benghazi, Al Marj City, Libya

    Salem Abdulkarim

  4. School of Computer and Information, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China

    Zhongyi Guo

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  1. Syed Afaq Ali Shah
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  4. Salem Abdulkarim
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Correspondence to Syed Afaq Ali Shah.

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Shah, S.A.A., Guo, Z., Sayyad, M.H. et al. Layer-by-Layer Titanium (IV) Chloride Treatment of TiO2 Films to Improve Solar Energy Harvesting in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. J. Electron. Mater. 50, 613–619 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-020-08598-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-020-08598-6

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