Ultrathin TiO2-coated SiO2 nanoparticles as light scattering centers for quantum dot-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

SiO2/TiO2 core/shell nanoparticles (ST-NPs) with an ultrathin and conformal TiO2 shell were fabricated via atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique with a specially-designed rotary reactor. We successfully employed the ST-NPs as light scattering centers in a mesoporous TiO2 photoanode in quantum dot (QD)-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). ST-NPs enhanced the light scattering in the TiO2 photoanode without deterioration of QD loading behavior. Consequently, visible light absorbance was improved in the PbS QDs-sensitized TiO2 photoanode, and thus the photocurrent density increased from 14 to 17 mA/cm2. Detailed electron microscopy was utilized to reveal the uniqueness of the ultrathin TiO2 shell in ST-NPs, and in-depth electrochemical impedance spectroscopy divulged the increase in photogenerated carrier lifetime and improved recombination resistance for the QDSSC with ST-NPs.