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

• 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
• ISSN: 0038-092X; 1471-1257
• DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2016.01.045

•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.