Abstract
Mesoporous TiO2 beads with diameters of 320±50, 550±50, and 830±40 nm, comprising interconnected and densely packed TiO2 nanocrystals, were used as working electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). These electrodes possess high surface areas and superior light-scattering properties, which are ideal for DSC applications. Although the electrode prepared by using 320±50 nm beads demonstrated the highest dye loading and the electrode prepared by using 550±50 nm beads showed the best light-scattering properties in the wavelength region λ=400-800 nm, DSC devices with working electrodes composed of 830±40 nm beads achieved the highest power conversion efficiencies of 9.0% after treatment with TiCl4. A higher electron diffusion rate (4.35 × 10-4 cm2s-1) and an extended electron lifetime (58 ms) were observed in DSCs composed of the largest beads, 830±40 nm, attributable to a reduced amount of inter-bead barriers and a relatively small percentage of TiO2 nanocrystals on the surface of the beads, compared to cells containing 550±50 and 320±50 nm beads.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1498-1503 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | ChemSusChem |
Volume | 4 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 17 Oct 2011 |
Keywords
- electron transport
- mesoporous materials
- photoanode
- solar cells
- titanium
Equipment
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Centre for Electron Microscopy (MCEM)
Flame Sorrell (Manager) & Peter Miller (Manager)
Office of the Vice-Provost (Research and Research Infrastructure)Facility/equipment: Facility