Fabrication of TiO 2 nanotubes by using electrodeposited ZnO nanorod template and their application to hybrid solar cells

Abstract

Vertically aligned TiO 2 nanotubes have been fabricated on the indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) by a simple and versatile technique using the electrochemically deposited ZnO nanorods, oriented along the c-axis, as a template in the spin-on based sol–gel reaction of a Ti precursor. The diameter, length, and shape of TiO 2 nanotubes were controlled by changing the initial ZnO nanorod template and the spin conditions during sol–gel process of a Ti precursor. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to confirm the successful formation of TiO 2 nanotubes and characterize their structure and morphology. Furthermore, as an application of the TiO 2 nanotubes, hybrid solar cells based on TiO 2 and poly[2-methoxy,5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV) were successfully fabricated.