Efficiency Enhancement in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Using TiO₂ /Ilmenite-Derived Nanofiber Composite as Working Electrode

Abstract:

TiO₂ nanocomposite films of calcined TiO₂ nanofibers and commercial-grade TiO₂ nanoparticles Degussa (P25) utilized as working electrode of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are prepared by a doctor blade method. TiO₂ nanofibers were synthesized from ilmenite mineral by hydrothermal process in combination with calcinations process. The prepared samples are characterized by XRD, XPS and TEM. The photoelectric conversion performance of the DSSC based on nanocomposite film electrode was compared to the device fabricated by pure P25 at the same film thickness. The result shows that as calcination temperature increases, the transformation of nanofibers to nanorods and nanoparticles were observed. The energy conversion efficiency (ƞ) of the device tends to with increasing calcined temperature. The greatest ƞ is 3.90% obtained from DSSC fabricated from nanocomposite film electrode of 5 wt.% nanofibers calcined at 800 oC for 2 h mixed with P25, indicating the significant enhancement in its performance by the incorporation of the nanofibers. This enhancement of DSSCs may correlate to high surface area, higher light scattering and light harvesting, low charge recombination and fast electron-transfer rate by nanofibers.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volume 925)
• Pages: 600-604
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.925.600
• Online since: April 2014
• Authors: Athapon Simpraditpan, Thanakorn Wirunmongkol, Sorapong Pavasupree, Wisanu Pecharapa
• Keywords: Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell, Nanocomposite, Nanofiber

References

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

DOI: 10.1038/353737a0

[2] J. Jiu, S. Isoda, F. Wang, M. Adachi, Dye-sensitized solar cells based on a single-crystalline TiO2 nanorod film, J. Phys. Chem. B 110 (2006) 2087-(2092).

DOI: 10.1021/jp055824n

[3] A. Simpraditpan, T. Wirunmongkol, S. Pavasupree, W. Pecharapa, Simple hydrothermal preparation of nanofibers from a natural ilmenite mineral, Ceram. Inter. 39 (2013), 2497-2502.

DOI: 10.1016/j.ceramint.2012.09.008

[4] J.G. Yu, J.J. Fan, K. Lv, Anatase TiO2 nanosheets with exposed (001) facets: improved photoelectric conversion efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cells, Nanoscale 2 (2010) 2144-2149.

DOI: 10.1039/c0nr00427h

[5] A. Simpraditpan, T. Wirunmongkol, S. Pavasupree, W. Pecharapa, Effect of calcination temperature on structural and photocatalyst properties of nanofibers prepared from low-cost natural ilmenite mineral by simple hydrothermal method, Mater. Res. Bull. (2013).

DOI: 10.1016/j.materresbull.2013.04.083

[6] B. Tian, C. Li, J. Zhang, One-step preparation, characterization and visible-light photocatalytic activity of Cr-doped TiO2 with anatase and rutile bicrystalline phases, Chem. Eng. J. 191 (2012) 402-409.

DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2012.03.038

[7] A.E. Shalan, M.M. Rashad, Y. Yu, M. Lira-Cantu, M.S.A. Abdel-Mottaleb, Controlling the microstructure and properties of titania nanopowders for high efficiency dye sensitized solar cells, Electrochim. Acta 89 (2013) 469-478.

DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2012.11.091

[8] M. Wolf, H. Rauschenbacht, Series resistance effects on solar cell measurements, Adv. Energy Conv. 3 (1963) 455-479.

[9] L. Francis, A.S. Nair, R. Jose, S. Ramakrishna, V. Thavasi, E. Marsano, High efficiency dye sensitized solar cells from rutile nanorods, Energy 36 (2011) 627-632.

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2010.09.054