Abstract
Porous TiO2 nanofibers (PTFs) and dense TiO2 nanofibers (DTFs) were prepared using simple electrospinning for application in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). TiO2 nanoparticles (TNPs) were prepared using a hydrothermal reaction. The as-prepared PTFs and DTFs (with a fiber diameter of around 200 nm) were mixed with TNPs such as TNP-PTF and TNP-DTF nanocomposites used in photoelectrode materials or were coated as light scattering layers on the photoelectrodes to improve the charge transfer ability and light harvesting effect of the DSSCs. The as-prepared TNPs showed a pure anatase phase, while the PTFs and DTFs showed both the anatase and rutile phases. The TNP-PTF composite (TNP:PTF = 9:1 wt.%) exhibited an enhanced short circuit photocurrent density (Jsc) of 14.95 ± 1.03 mA cm−2 and a photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE, η) of 5.4 ± 0.17% because of the improved charge transport and accessibility for the electrolyte ions. In addition, the TNP/PTF photoelectrode showed excellent light absorption in the visible region because of the mountainous nature of light induced by the PTF light scattering layer. The TNP/PTF photoelectrode showed the highest Jsc (16.96 ± 0.79 mA cm−2), η (5.9 ± 0.13%), and open circuit voltage (Voc, 0.66 ± 0.02 V).
Highlights
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are basically thin-layer solar cells consisting of two sandwichtype transparent conduction oxide (TCO) electrodes
The photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of present DSSCs is significantly lower than their theoretical efficiency
Porous and dense TiO2 nanofibers (200 nm fiber diameter) were successfully prepared using electrospinning and were used as additives or light-scattering layers to enhance the photovoltaic electrospinning and were used as additives or light-scattering layers to enhance the photovoltaic properties of DSSC
Summary
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are basically thin-layer solar cells consisting of two sandwichtype transparent conduction oxide (TCO) electrodes. One electrode is a highly colored photoelectrode with a few micron-thick layers of mesoporous TiO2 or other semiconductors (ZnO, SnO2 , and Nb2 O5 ). DSSCs, which are cost-effective and have high theoretical efficiencies, are available in various colors depending on the dye. DSSCs co-photosensitized with an organic dye of alkoxysilyl-anchor dye (ADEKA-1, molecular structures of carbazole dyes with a trimethoxysilyl group) and a carboxy-anchor organic dye of LEG4 anchored to nanocrystalline TiO2 films show a photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of Nanomaterials 2019, 9, 95; doi:10.3390/nano9010095 www.mdpi.com/journal/nanomaterials. The PCE response of DSSCs depends on their open circuit voltage (Voc , V), photocurrent density (Jsc , mA cm−2 ), and fill factor (FF, %) [14,15]. The Jsc and FF of DSSCs depend on the adsorption of the dye and the charge transfer in the photoelectrode [15,16,17]
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