Abstract
In the present work, we introduce a facile mechanical approach for fast removal of closed bottom-caps of anodized TiO2 nanotube arrays (TNTAs) to fabricate open-ended TiO2 nanotube arrays (O-TNTAs). The end-opening process is carried out by mechanically grinding the closed ends on an abrasive paper for a short time of around 15 s. TiCl4 treatment is conducted prior to the opening process to not only enhance the interaction among tubes but also improve surface area of the obtained O-TNTAs membranes. Surface homogeneous, flat and mechanically robust O-TNTAs films with through-hole can be obtained over a large area. The obtained films are exploited as photoanodes for front-illuminated dye-sensitized solar cells. Compared with the close-ended TiO2 nanotube arrays (C-TNTAs) based device, the solar cell based on O-TNTAs yields an impressive solar power conversion efficiency of 7.7% under one sun illumination, corresponding to a 66% enhancement. The improved cell performance results from both the enhanced light-harvesting and promoted charge collection. The developed through-hole membranes are also favorable for many other potential applications, such as bioinfiltration, flow-through photocatalytical reactors, growth templates and sensors.
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