Antireflective Photoanode Made of TiO2 Nanobelts and a ZnO Nanowire Array

Abstract

We fabricated an antireflective hybrid nanostructure using anatase TiO2 nanobelts synthesized by an alkaline hydrothermal route and a ZnO nanowire array grown via a low-temperature solution-phase process. The replacement of TiO2 nanoparticles with TiO2 nanobelts improved the electron transport in the TiO2 porous film. Importantly, rigorous coupled-wave analysis and reflectance measurements indicate that the well-designed composite of TiO2 nanobelt−ZnO nanowire array acted as an efficient antireflection coating. The photoanode made of this hybrid nanostructure may enhance the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells by minimizing the electron−hole recombination-related and reflection-induced energy loss.