Abstract

The high-nuclear cluster compound Na48[HxMo368O1032(H2O)240(SO4)48]·ca.1000H2O (denoted as {Mo368}) represents the known nanoscale hedgehog-type cluster anion with the diameter of approximately 6 nm. Herein, a TiO2@{Mo368} composite was prepared through a sol–gel process for the first time. SEM, XPS, and UV–vis spectra were employed to characterize their chemical composition and structures. Meanwhile, the as-obtained composite was further mixed with P25 (Degussa P25 titania photocatalyst) then applied as the photoanodes of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs); the results showed that DSSCs with the P25-TiO2@{Mo368}-based photoanodes exhibited better performance than that with pure P25-based photoanodes, which was due to less carrier recombination and longer electron lifetime in the former DSSCs by the results from analysis of dark current measurement, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and open-circuit voltage decay curve.

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