Enhancement of TiO2 nanoparticle properties and efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells using modifiers

M M Rashad,M S A Abdel-Mottaleb,A E Shalan,Mónica Lira-Cantú

doi:10.1007/s13204-012-0117-5

Abstract

A low-temperature hydrothermal process developed to synthesizes titania nanoparticles with controlled size. We investigate the effects of modifier substances, urea, on surface chemistry of titania (TiO2) nanopowder and its applications in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Treating the nanoparticles with a modifier solution changes its morphology, which allows the TiO2 nanoparticles to exhibit properties that differ from untreated TiO2 nanoparticles. The obtained TiO2 nanoparticle electrodes characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM/HRTEM, UV–VIS Spectroscopy and FTIR. Experimental results indicate that the effect of bulk traps and the surface states within the TiO2 nanoparticle films using modifiers enhances the efficiency in DSSCs. Under 100-mW cm−2 simulated sunlight, the titania nanoparticles DSSC showed solar energy conversion efficiency = 4.6 %, with Voc = 0.74 V, Jsc = 9.7324 mA cm−2, and fill factor = 71.35.

Highlights

Today, the most successful photovoltaic devices are fabricated using semiconductor materials, such as silicon (Si) (Green et al 2007)
We investigate the effects of modifier substances, urea, on surface chemistry of titania (TiO2) nanopowder and its applications in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs)
The value of efficiency increases with increase in the annealing temperature, due to the use of modifiers which changes the properties of the nanoparticles and increases the efficiency of the DSSC

Summary

Introduction

The most successful photovoltaic devices are fabricated using semiconductor materials, such as silicon (Si) (Green et al 2007). Its strong oxidative potential makes it a prominent photocatalyst, and its unique optical and electrical properties make it useful as a base semiconductor material for solar cells. To use this material in such a wide variety of applications, some additives or modifiers are often required to enhance its chemical or physical properties. These additives are mixed among the nanoparticles of TiO2 or are applied as coatings on the nanoparticles. TiO2 nanopowder is sometimes mixed with urea or other modifiers to generate more active photocatalytic

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Conclusion