DSSCs Fabrication Using Nano-Structured Titania as Photoanode

Abstract:

This project aimed to fabricate the nanostructure of titanium dioxide by one-step anodization for DSSCs. PCC and BCC set up were investigated for the oxidation of Ti-sheet in EG electrolyte consisting of 0.38%wt. NH₄F and 1.79 %wt. DI water for 3 hrs, under applied potential of 10-40 V. Anodized TiO₂ films were annealed at 600°C for 3 hrs to crystallize the initially amorphous anodized films. The as-prepared nanoporous-TiO₂ layer obtained from anodization of Ti by using PCC was detachment flaking film, while using BCC gave the films adhered on the Ti-substrates. The most perfectly adherent nanoporous-TiO₂ film was fabricated via BCC under the applied potential of 40 V for 3 hrs. This attached film on Ti substrate was used as the anode of DSSC cell which having the active area of 0.5x0.5 cm², the investigation was done under one sun condition (AM 1.5, P_in 100 mW/cm²). A photoconversion efficiency (ɳ) of 1.198% was obtained by using annealed Ti/TiO₂-nanotube/FTO based DSSC as a photoanode with a short-circuit current density (J_sc) of 2.871 mA/cm², open-circuit voltage (V_oc) of 0.794 V and fill factor (FF) of 0.526. This overall photoconversion efficiency (ɳ) was approximately 0.7 times as much as that of a corresponding DSSC fabricated with P25 (commercial TiO₂).

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volume 781)
• Pages: 184-188
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.781.184
• Online since: August 2015
• Authors: Mallika Thabuot, Chaiyaput Kruehong*
• Keywords: Anodization, Dye Sensitized Solar Cells, Nano-Titanium Dioxide

References

[1] D. Kuang, J. Brillet, P. Chen, M. Takata, S. Uchida, H. Miura, K. Sumioka, S. M. Zakeeruddin and M. Grätzel, Application of highly ordered TiO2 nanotube arrays in flexible dye-sensitized solar cells, ACS nano. 2. 6 (2008) 1113-1116.

DOI: 10.1021/nn800174y

[2] W.T. Sun, Y. Yu, H.Y. Pan, X.F. Gao, Q. Chen and L.M. Peng, CdS quantum dots sensitized TiO2 nanotube-array photoelectrodes, Journal of the American Chemical Society. 130. 4 (2008) 1124-1125.

DOI: 10.1021/ja0777741

[3] H.Y. Hwang, A.A. Prabu, D.Y. Kim and K.J. Kim, Influence of the organic electrolyte and anodization conditions on the preparation of well-aligned TiO2 nanotube arrays in dye-sensitized solar cells, Solar Energy. 85. 7 (2011) 1551-1559.

DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2011.04.017

[4] Q. Pang, L. Leng, L. Zhao, L. Zhou, C. Liang and Y. Lan, Dye sensitized solar cells using freestanding TiO2 nanotube arrays on FTO substrate as photoanode, Materials Chemistry and Physics. 125. 3 (2011) 612-616.

DOI: 10.1016/j.matchemphys.2010.10.009

[5] Q. Chen, D. Xu, Z. Wu and Z. Liu, Free-standing TiO2 nanotube arrays made by anodic oxidation and ultrasonic splitting, Nanotechnology. 19. 36 (2008) 365708.

DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/19/36/365708

[6] Q. Chen and D. Xu, Large-scale, noncurling, and free-standing crystallized TiO2 nanotube arrays for dye-sensitized solar cells, The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. 113. 15 (2009) 6310-6314.

DOI: 10.1021/jp900336e

[7] H. Omidvar, S. Goodarzi, A. Seif and A.R. Azadmehr, Influence of anodization parameters on the morphology of TiO2 nanotube arrays, Superlattices and Microstructures. 50. 1 (2011) 26-39.

DOI: 10.1016/j.spmi.2011.04.006

[8] K. Zhu, N.R. Neale, A.F. Halverson, J.Y. Kim and A.J. Frank, Effects of annealing temperature on the charge-collection and light-harvesting properties of TiO2 nanotube-based dye-sensitized solar cells, The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. 114. 32 (2010).

DOI: 10.1021/jp102137x

[9] Y. Zhang, J. Khamwannah, H. Kim, S.Y. Noh, H. Yang and S. Jin., Improved dye sensitized solar cell performance in larger cell size by using TiO2 nanotubes, Nanotechnology. 24. 4 (2013): 045401.

DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/24/4/045401