Morphological, optical and electrical characterization of titania-nanotubes-based dye-sensitized solar cells

Morphological, optical and electrical characterization of titania-nanotubes-based dye-sensitized solar cells

•We determine morphological, optical and electrical characteristics of DSSCs.•The TiO2 nanotubes’ length is important parameter that influences cell performance.•The reduction of incident light reaching the working electrode is significant.•Post treatment of titania nanotubes can have a various effe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Solar energy Vol. 127; pp. 232 - 238
Main Authors: Suhadolnik, Luka, Jerman, Ivan, Kujan, Amadej, Žagar, Kristina, Krivec, Matic, Čeh, Miran
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: New York Elsevier Ltd 01-04-2016
Pergamon Press Inc
Subjects:
Anodic oxidation
DSSC
Electrolytes
Energy efficiency
Morphology
Nanotubes
Oxidation
Scanning electron microscopy
TiO2 nanotubes
Anodic oxidation
TiO2 nanotubes
DSSC
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Summary:•We determine morphological, optical and electrical characteristics of DSSCs.•The TiO2 nanotubes’ length is important parameter that influences cell performance.•The reduction of incident light reaching the working electrode is significant.•Post treatment of titania nanotubes can have a various effect on cell performance. Self-ordered, vertically aligned, titanium oxide (TiO2) nanotubes were grown on an electropolished titanium foil by anodic oxidation in a viscous organic electrolyte. We chose two different anodization times to obtain nanotubes of approximately 9 and 17μm in length. Some of the TiO2 nanotubes were post-treated with TiCl4 or hydrothermally with TiO2 P25. Their structure and morphology were investigated with field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FSEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To improve the sensitizing of the high-aspect-ratio nanotubes with dye we used a new approach in which the TiO2 arrays were immersed into the dye solution at elevated temperature in an autoclave. The current–voltage characteristics of the assembled DSSCs gave an average energy-conversion efficiency of 5.7% for the untreated nanotubes.
ISSN:0038-092X
1471-1257
DOI:10.1016/j.solener.2016.01.045