Photoanodes For Dye-sensitized Solar Cells Research Articles

Design of highly efficient 0D/1D TiO2 photoanode for dye-sensitized solar cells by simple TiCl4 pre-treatment of titanate nanotubes

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) represent a promising avenue for sustainable energy conversion, with the efficiency of these devices heavily reliant on the performance of the TiO2 photoanode. Despite significant advancements, optimizing the photoanode material for higher efficiency remains a challenge. This study introduces a novel approach to constructing a highly efficient, multifunctional 0D/1D TiO2 composite by simply pre-treating the TiO2 precursor, specifically one-dimensional (1D) H-titanate nanotubes, with TiCl4. The TiCl4 treatment not only encourages the extensive synthesis of the one-dimensional nanostructures (i.e., nanorods) but also facilitates the in situ hydrolysis to generate small crystals that attach to the surface of the nanorods. The TiO2 composite offers several essential benefits, including the expanded thickness, high surface area for superior dye adsorption, efficient diffuse light scattering induced by the aggregate structures, and fast charge transport within the film matrix, making it an exemplary component for DSCs. The photovoltaic performance test revealed that TiCl4 pre-treatment increased power conversion efficiency by 36.3 %, rising from 7.63 % of untreated cells to a striking value of 10.4 %, which is a new record when N719 is used as a sensitizer and iodide-based redox shuttle employed as an electrolyte. This research provides an effective strategy for developing highly efficient photoanode material for DSCs.

Synthesis of TiO2 Nanoparticles by Green Approach: Application as Photoanode for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Efficient photoanodes play a central role in the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells. Traditional methods for synthesizing TiO2 often involve chemical processes that can be expensive and environmentally harmful due to the use of toxic and hazardous substances. Therefore in this work, TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized using bio-inspired processing through a hydrothermal procedure using different concentrations of Aloe barbadensis miller leaves extract as the reducing and stabilizing agent. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–vis spectroscopy (UV), X-ray difraction (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis were used to characterize as synthesized TiO2 NPs. DSSCs were fabricated employing the prepared TiO2 NPs as photoanodes, and their performance was assessed. DSSC generates JSC of 9.7 mA/cm2, VOC of 0.682 V and efficiency (η) of 4.3 % when 20 mL concentration of extract was used for the synthesis of TiO2 NPs and subsequently their photoanodes.

Fabrication, characterization and application of W/N co-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles as a promising photoanode for dye-sensitized solar cells

In the present investigation, undoped, W doped, and W/N co-doped ZnO nanoparticles were prepared by sol–gel route. Here, the ZnO layers were fabricated via the doctor blade method. Hexagonal wurtzite structure is determined by XRD studies. The formation of a hexagonal wurtzite structure was observed from X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) resulting in a slight increase in crystallite size with an increase in doping content. The UV observation shows that W/N co-doping shifted the absorption spectra towards a higher wavelength and reduces the band gap energy. The EDS spectra confirms the high purity and triumphant doping of the W(tungsten) and N(nitrogen) into the ZnO lattice. The morphology of undoped and W/N co-doped ZnO nanoparticles was demonstrated by using FESEM and HRTEM. The 2 % W and 1.5 % N co-doped ZnO photoanode based DSSC (dye-sensitized solar cells) gained the highest short circuit current density of 8.44 mAcm−2 having an open-circuit voltage of 0.65 V, and PCE (power conversion efficiency) of 3.60 %.

Improvement of the photoelectric dye sensitized solar cell performance using Fe/S–TiO2 nanoparticles as photoanode electrode

A sulfur nanoparticles-incorporated iron-doped titanium oxide (Fe/TiO2) with different ratio was successfully synthesized by photolysis method and utilized as effective photoanode in dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) application with N719 dye. The photolysis method was contained the irradiation of the Fe, S and Ti mixture solution with 15 W source irradiation, and then calcined the formed precipitate. The DSSCs fabricated with Fe/S–TiO2 photoanode appeared an improved solar-to-electrical energy conversion efficiency of 6.46, which more than pure TiO2 (3.43) below full sunlight illumination (1.5 G). The impact of Fe content on the total efficiency was also inspected and the Fe content with 6% S–TiO2 was found 5 wt%. Due to the improved the efficiency of solar cell conversion of Fe/S–TiO2 nanocomposite, it should be deemed as a potential photoanode for DSSCs with high performance.

Photoanode Modification Based on Lignin Extracted from Rice Husk for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

The photoanode optimization of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) has been developed to create renewable devices based on green chemistry. TiO2 plays a crucial role in light absorption, charge separation, and electron transport within the photoanode of DSSCs. Modifying mesoporous TiO2 photoanode using lignin-template has been considered a viable option for photocatalyst synthesis. Lignin derived from rice husk is a potential material due to its abundant sources in many countries. Therefore, in this work, rice husk lignin was employed for non-toxic and low-cost material performance improvement of TiO2. Experimental results showed that the best efficiency and current density were identified as the effect of adding a 5% concentration of lignin on the TiO2 composite, namely 4.81% PCE.

Efficient flexible dye-sensitized solar cells from rear illumination based on different morphologies of titanium dioxide photoanode

The TiO2 with nanoparticles (NPs), nanowires (NWs), nanorods (NRs) and nanotubes (NTs) structures were prepared by using a in-situ hydrothermal technique, and then proposed as a photoanode for flexible dye-sensitized solar cell (FDSSC). The influences of the morphology of TiO2 on the photovoltaic performances of FDSSCs were investigated. Under rear illumination of 100 mW·cm−2, the power conversion efficiencies of FDSSCs achieved 6.96%, 7.36%, 7.65%, and 7.83% with the TiO2 photoanodes of NPs, NWs, NRs, and NTs and PEDOT counter electrode. The FDSSCs based on TiO2 NRs and NTs photoanodes have higher short circuit current densities and power conversion efficiencies than that of the others. The enhanced power conversion efficiency is responsible for their nanotubes and rod-shaped ordered structures, which are more beneficial to transmission of electron and hole in semiconductor compared to the TiO2 nanoparticles and nanowires disordered structure.

Improving charge transfer properties and solar cell performance by In-doped TiO2 as an efficient photoanode for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs)

Dye-sensitized-solar cells (DSSCs) are of great interest as cost-effective and green energy producers. The vastly explored photoanodes are one of the most significant parts of DSSC and still play a crucial role. We employed the fast and facile sol-gel technique to synthesize and dope TiO2 mesoporous structure with indium atoms. Although In doping in the TiO2 structure has been used previously, there have been few research on its application as photoanode in DSSCs. We investigated TiO2:In as an appropriate candidate for photoanode in DSSC and evaluated its charge transfer and optical, structural, and electrochemical properties. Mott-Schottky results show that indium doping can increase the carrier concentration up to 1.1 × 1017 cm−3 and elevate the conductivity as well as charge transfer properties. The optical and structural properties were investigated by PL, Raman, and UV–visible methods, and the results showed that TiO2:In has suppressed recombination in its structure. Also, In-doping improves the electrochemical properties of the photoanodes. The EIS results establish that In corporation can reduce the charge transfer resistance to 33 Ω cm2. The champion TiO2:In-based DSSC shows an 8.62 % efficiency, which indicates a 55 % improvement compared to the non-doped TiO2.

Utilizing the lignocellulosic fibers from Pineapple Crown Leaves extract for enhancing TiO2 interfacial bonding in dye-sensitized solar cell photoanodes

AbstractThe crown leaves of pineapple possess a wealth of smooth and glossy silk medium-length fibers, primarily composed of cellulose and lignin, accompanied by constituents such as fats, waxes, pectin, uronic acid, anhydride, pentosan, color pigments, and inorganic substances. These fibers exhibit an anisotropic nature and are characterized by hydrogen bonding interactions, rendering them effective in conjunction with semiconductor oxide (TiO2) through their cellulosic fibrils. The dye extracted from Pineapple Crown Leaves (PCL) using ethanol was subjected to FTIR and UV–visible spectroscopy. The FTIR analysis revealed absorption peaks at 3268 cm−1 and 2922 cm−1, confirming the presence of –OH and –CH stretching attributed to the fibrils within the dye. UV–visible spectroscopy further demonstrated absorption within the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Additionally, a photoluminescence study of the dye showcased emission within the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Subsequently, a solar cell incorporating this dye underwent JV characterization, yielding an efficiency of 1.0034%, along with fill factor, open-circuit voltage, and short-circuit current density values of 0.40644, 0.7058 V, and 3.4906 mA/cm2, respectively. To gain deeper insights and facilitate optimization for large-scale installations, a simulation model utilizing PC1D was proposed to explore the influential parameters of the Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC).

TiO2-bismuth screen printing ink for flexible low temperature dye sensitized solar cells

Flexible dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) possess multiple advantages with wide application and good commercialisation potential. However, the low conversion efficiency of the technology from poor charge transfer and interparticle contact has limited their utilisation. Thus, the research aims to enhance the performance of flexible plastic-based titanium dioxide (TiO2) film via the formation of TiO2-bismuth (Bi) ink for screen-printing of DSSC photoanode film. The implementation of Bi nanoparticles as sintering aid has managed to improve the interparticle contact in the photoanode film with neck formation at the TiO2-Bi interface. This phenomenon has also led to the lowering of resistance values by 57 - 65% with charge transfer resistance of 11.72 kΩ.cm2 and series resistance of 38.28 kΩ.cm2 for the TiO2-Bi photoanode. The recombination reactions were also reduced with longer electron lifetime of 0.0036 ms and enhanced charge transfer. The research has managed to prepare TiO2-Bi ink that would be suitable for the fabrication of flexible DSSC photoanode film via screen printing. Hence, the outcome of the research could potentially lead to the development of highly efficient flexible low temperature DSSC and enhance their commercialisation potential.

Investigating the effect of ZrO2 nanofibers in ZnO-based photoanodes to increase dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) efficiency: Inspecting the porosity and charge transfer properties in ZnO/ZrO2 nanocomposite photoanode

This study is aimed to improve the performance of zinc oxide (ZnO) photoanodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) by exploiting the superior charge transport properties in electro-spun zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) nanofibers in ZnO/ZrO2 nanocomposite photoanodes. The fabricated photoanodes were analyzed by a variety of analyses. The XRD results show that photoanodes are a mixture of two different phases of ZnO and ZrO2 without any additional impurity phase. FESEM images and BET analysis show changes in porosity and effective surface area in the synthesized photoanodes. UV–Vis analysis confirms this conclusion by measuring adsorbed dye molecules on the photoanode surface. In addition, using the photoanodes, DSSCs are prepared for which J-V characterization results show an increase in efficiency from 1.68 to 3.31 %. The addition of ZrO2 nanofiber to the ZnO network increases the porosity and effective surface area and makes it possible to control the dye-loading as well as electrolyte species transport. Furthermore, the results of EIS analysis show that the charge transport in the ZnO/ZrO2 network is carried out more efficiently compared to the bare ZnO photoanode. Although, increasing ZrO2 nanofibers to a certain level can help improve the efficiency, it tends to reduce the efficiency with ZrO2/ZnO ratios of over 10 %.

Effect of zinc oxide incorporation of poly (aniline)-titanium dioxide ternary nanocrystalline photo-anode for dye-sensitized solar cell applications

In this work, we have developed optically transparent zinc oxide nanoparticles doped with highly efficient of poly (aniline)-titanium dioxide (PANI/TiO2/ZnO) ternary composites were prepared by simple chemical oxidative polymerization method and its used as photo-anode for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) applications. The as prepared PANI/TiO2/ZnO characterized by the various techniques such as FT-IR, XRD, HR-TEM, SAED, FE-SEM, AFM, and UV–Visible analysis. Morphological analysis was observed in the surface morphology of ZnO doped PANI/TiO2 in crystalline nature. The topographical AFM images were also observed in crystalline nature. Tauc plot analysis were examined the optical band-gap energy (2.95 eV) of PANI/TiO2/ZnO. The DSSCs assembled and as prepared PANI/TiO2, PANI/ZnO, TiO2/ZnO, PANI/TiO2/ZnO were used as photo-anode, 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide containing the iodide/triiodide redox mediator used as the electrolyte, platinum paste used as a counter electrode. Among the devices, PANI/TiO2/ZnO photo-anode gives 8.31% efficiency.

An overview of bi-layered niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5)-based photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells

An overview of bi-layered niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5)-based photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells

Facile synthesis of reduced graphene oxide and graphitic carbon nitride modified titanium dioxide nanospheres for photoanode of dye-sensitized solar cell

Titanium dioxide/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites (TiO2/rGO NCs) have been broadly utilized as photoanode materials for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Nevertheless, photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of DSSC is diminished due to recombination of charges takes place between photoanode and electrolyte interface. Herein, we have prepared a triplet structure nanocomposite composed of TiO2 nanospheres, rGO and graphitic carbon nitride (TiO2 NS/rGO/g-C3N4 NC) for photoanode of DSSC. The ternary TiO2 NS/rGO/g-C3N4 NC photoanode has enhanced dye absorption considerably and as a consequence, improved light harvesting efficiency. Besides, the introduction of rGO and g-C3N4 on the TiO2 NS has effectually speeded up the transport of electrons and minimized the recombination of photogenerated charges. Consequently, the DSSC integrated with ternary TiO2 NS/rGO/g-C3N4 NC photoanode has exhibited ∼41 % increment in the PCE of 5.77 % when compared to PCE of the pristine TiO2 NS photoanode (4.10 %). This finding has proposed a simplistic approach to advance photovoltaic performance of the DSSC.

Photocurrent Density Enhancement of DSSC with Existence of ZnO in TiO2 Based Photoanode

<p class="Abstract"><span lang="EN-US">One of the important components of a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is photoanode which plays a critical role serving as the center of conversion energy. Photoanode consists of transparent conducting substrate, a semiconductor layer, and dyes molecules as sensitizers. Titanium dioxide (TiO<sub>2</sub>) is widely used as a photoanode because it is a mesoporous and stable material despite its high recombination rate. To reduce the recombination rate and improve electron transport, TiO<sub>2</sub> is combined with other materials such as ZnO to form TiO<sub>2</sub>/ZnO composites. ZnO is a good choice because it has higher electron mobility than TiO<sub>2</sub> to inhibit recombination. The synthesis process of TiO<sub>2</sub>/ZnO composites was carried out using the sol-gel method with variations in the weight percentage of ZnO. The TiO<sub>2</sub>/ZnO composite was then applied as a photoanode in DSSC. The J-V measurement results shows that the DSSC with TiO<sub>2</sub>/ZnO 25wt% composite layer as the photoanode produced the highest efficiency of 0.86%. This increase in efficiency was due to an increase in the photo-current of photoanodes that have more ZnO content. The presence of ZnO leads to faster-moving electron transport, therefore reducing recombination and increasing efficiency.</span></p>

Synthesis of Mg-doped TiO2 Using a Hydrothermal Method as Photoanode on Bixin-Sensitized Solar Cell

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) with magnesium (Mg) doping for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) photoanode application has been synthesized. DSSC components used in this study were photosensitizer (bixin), electrolyte (), cathode (platinum), and photoanode (Mg-TiO2). This research aims to determine the characteristics of Mg-doped TiO2 photoanode with variations in dopant concentration based on the results of XRD and DR/UV-Vis analysis, as well as to determine the maximum efficiency conversion energy of DSSC using Mg-doped TiO2 and undoped TiO2 as photoanodes. The synthesis of TiO2 and Mg-TiO2 was carried out using the hydrothermal method with variations in the concentration of Mg dopant of 0, 0.5, 1, and 2% based on the molar ratio. The presenceof 2% of Mg in anatase TiO2 paste decreased the TiO2 band gap from 3.15 to 2.60 eV. Analysis results show that adding Mg dopant decreased the crystal size. Mg dopants on TiO2 could also form new energy levels, which reduced the band gap energy of TiO2. In addition, the increased concentration of Mg dopants also shifted the absorption capacity of TiO2 from the ultra-violet (UV) wavelengths region to the visible light area. The maximum energy conversion efficiency of the DSSCs with Mg-doped TiO2 photoanode of 0.5, 1, and 2% are 0.045; 0.070, and 0.172%, respectively, where these three efficiency values are higher than undoped TiO2 (0.017%). The results proved that the presence of Mg dopants on the TiO2 photoanode can increase the efficiency of DSSC.

Dye-sensitized solar cells with efficiencies exceeding 10% engineered based on La2MnTiO6 double perovskite and MOF-derived Cr2O3/C nanocomposites in bi-layered photoanodes

To improve the photoanode performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), developing double-layered photoanodes have been proposed consisting of La2MnTiO6 + Cr2O3/C nanocomposites in diverse ratios to find the optimal amount. The (x%) La2MnTiO6 + (y%) Cr2O3/C nanocomposites were coated as the overlayer and TiO2 nanoparticles as the underlayer in photoelectrodes. La2MnTiO6, Cr2O3/C, and La2MnTiO6 + Cr2O3/C nanocomposites have been synthesized using sol-gel method, MIL-101(Cr), and hydrothermal method, respectively, and applied as effective light-absorbing photoelectrode layers on the top of TiO2 photoanode in DSSC and compared to TiO2 monolayer film. Numerous analyses and photocurrent density-voltage (J-V) plots were taken to evaluate nanocomposites characteristics. Because of superior light absorbing as well as light-scattering abilities, high amount of dye loading, porous surfaces with high electron transport capacity, and less electron-hole recombination at the 70%La2MnTiO6 + 30%Cr2O3/C film/TiO2/electrolyte interface, the champion cell based on TiO2/20% (70%La2MnTiO6 + 30%Cr2O3/C) photoanode showed a 2.19-fold higher power conversion efficiency (PCE = 9.00%) than the traditional TiO2 monolayer based photoanode (PCE = 4.11%). The amount of the 70%La2MnTiO6 + 30%Cr2O3/C composite loading in the second layer film on the TiO2 layer was also varied in photoanodes. By optimizing the percentage of composite loaded in the second layer, champion device with optimal TiO2/15% (70%La2MnTiO6 + 30%Cr2O3/C) nanocomposite unveiled the largest PCE = 10.07%, enhancing the PCE by about 11.8% and 145% in comparison with TiO2/20% (70%La2MnTiO6 + 30%Cr2O3/C) and monolayer TiO2 photoanodes, respectively.

Emulsion-assisted polyaniline grown on molybdenum diselenide nanoflowers for efficient counter electrode application in dye-sensitized solar cells

ABSTRACT Molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2) is often composed with conducting polymers like polyaniline (PANI) to lower the stacking and increase the active sites for catalysis. The method of polymerization and the concentration of monomer play a significant role in the growth of PANI nanostructures over the MoSe2 surface. Here, MoSe2-PANI nanocomposites have been synthesized with different molar concentrations of the monomer in the emulsion of chloroform and distilled water using ammonium persulfate (APS) as the initiator. The increased surface area of the composite MPAN (1:1) compared to pristine MoSe2, as observed from the FESEM and BET study, is fruitful for counter-electrode application in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). The lower Rct values for the MPAN (1:1) and increased current in cyclic voltammetry further approved the suitability of the MoSe2-PANI as a counter electrocatalyst. The counter electrodes against N719 dye-sensitized TiO2 photoanode in DSSC yielded the best results for MPAN (1:1), generating an efficiency of 6.45%.

Structural, optical and photovoltaic properties of V2O5/ZnO and reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-V2O5/ZnO nanocomposite photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells

Structural, optical and photovoltaic properties of V2O5/ZnO and reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-V2O5/ZnO nanocomposite photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells

Effects of mesoporous TiO2 with addition of V2O5 and rinsing with various solvents on the properties of dye-sensitized solar cells

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) have received much attention since they are simple, easily manufactured, inexpensive, and offer reasonable conversion efficiency. Mesoporous TiO2 with the addition of V2O5 nano-particles (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 wt%) as a photoanode in DSSC have been successfully fabricated using a spin-coating method. Titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) was used to synthesize a thin TiO2 blocking layer to enhance the performance of TiO2 photoanode in DSSC. After annealing treatment at 450 °C, the TiO2 blocking layer showed an amorphous structure. Performance was examined after soaking N719 dye and rinsing with five different solvents (ethanol, isopropanol, acetone, methanol, and diethyl ether). The results show that removing unanchored dye molecules using acetone solution can increase the specific surface area and dye adsorption amount of TiO2, resulting in good Jsc and photovoltaic efficiency. A conversion efficiency of 8.5% was achieved using fluorine doped tin oxide glass, a thin blocking layer, mixing 0.5 wt% V2O5 with mesoporous TiO2 and rinsing with an acetone solution.

Effect of electrospun bilayer titanium oxide–tin oxide nanofibers on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells

The core–shell nanofibers, which contain titanium oxide (TiO2) and tin oxide (SnO2), are known as electrospun nanofibers that improve the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells by exploring the photoanode. The morphology and microstructure of the electrospun nanofibers are studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X–ray diffraction (XRD). Based on the SEM micrographs, the fibers have a bilayer TiO2–SnO2 core–shell structure with a 70–120 nm diameter. The XRD analysis shows the dominant crystalline phase of the synthesized nanostructures after heat treatment. Finally, the synthesized nanofibers are used to prepare dye-sensitized solar cell photoanodes with thicknesses of 8, 11, 14, and 17 μm, which their performances are investigated. The current–voltage (I–V) curve of the solar cells under the Xenon lamp irradiation is measured and calculated. The optimal solar cell with a photoanode made electrophoretic at 30 V for 8 min shows the best performance. The optimal thickness of the TiO2–SnO2 nanocomposite for this photoanode is 14 μm. The short-circuit current density, open-circuit voltage, and optimal cell efficiency for this sample are 19.35 mA/cm2, 650 mV, and 9.27%, respectively.