Effect of heat treatment to the rutile based dye sensitized solar cell

Abstract

The effect of heat treatment of aligned titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanorods and nanoflowers in the application of dye-sensitized solar cell were investigated. Both of these nanostructures were deposited on the fluorine-doped SnO2 transparent conducting glass substrate using one step hydrothermal method. Characterizations of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) with rutile-phased TiO2 nanorods and nanoflowers were performed such as surface morphology, structural property, dye-adsorption and energy conversion efficiency. In the DSC preparation, both TiO2 nanorods/nanoflowers, platinum (Pt), ruthenium dye N719 and DPMII electrolyte were used as photo electrode, counter electrode, dye solution and liquid electrolyte, respectively. Concentration of 3M cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was added in the preparation of rutile-phased TiO2 nanorods and nanoflowers. All of the photo electrodes were heated at 150°C, 250°C, 350°C, 450°C, respectively. The thickness of TiO2 nanorods and nanoflowers-layers were 5μm and 15μm, respectively. Lastly, power conversion efficiency of DSC was performed under the light intensity of 100mW/cm2. It was found that the highest power conversion efficiency was 3.27%, and heated at 450°C.