Enhanced DSSCs performance of TiO2 nanostructure by surface passivation layers

• Published in: Materials research bulletin Vol. 99; pp. 491 - 495
• Main Authors: Tehare, Kailas K., Navale, Sachin T., Stadler, Florian J., He, Zhubing, Yang, Haitao, Xiong, Xinbo, Liu, Xinke, Mane, Rajaram S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Ltd 01-03-2018
• Subjects: CALCIUM CARBONATES; CONTAINERS; CONVERSION; COPPER; Dye-sensitized solar cells; ELECTRODES; ELECTRONS; MAGNESIUM OXIDES; MORPHOLOGY; NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY; NANOSTRUCTURES; PASSIVATION; Passivation layer; Photoconversion efficiency; PHOTONS; RUTILE; SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; SOLAR CELLS; SPIN-ON COATING; TIN OXIDES; TITANIUM OXIDES; X-RAY DIFFRACTION; ZIRCONIUM OXIDES; Dye-sensitized solar cells; Photoconversion efficiency; Passivation layer
• ISSN: 0025-5408; 1873-4227
• DOI: 10.1016/j.materresbull.2017.11.046

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•Passivation layers of MgO, CaCO3, ZrO2 and SnO2 on TiO2 electrode deposited in copper container by spin coating method.•XRD and EDX analysis give detail information about surface passivation layers deposition on TiO2 electrode.•Achieved highest efficiency for electrode with MgO passivation layer it is about 6.05%.•Highest electron lifetime of 0.65ms.
Rutile titanium oxide (TiO2) synthesized in copper containers, was spin-coated with different surface passivation layers such as magnesium oxide (MgO), calcium carbonate (CaCO3), zirconium oxide (ZrO2), and tin oxide (SnO2). The deposition of these passivation layers on TiO2 confirmed with the help of XRD and EDX analysis, leads to changes in surface morphology induced by the passivation layers demonstrated by FE-SEM imaging. The highest photoconversion efficiency obtained for TiO2 electrode with MgO passivation layer (6.05%), respective incident photon conversion efficiency was 52%. After introduction of passivation layers on the TiO2 nanostructure, electron lifetime increased from 0.48 ms to 0.65 ms and charge transfer resistance decreased from 36.9 Ω cm (pristine TiO2 electrode) to 20.16 Ω cm (MgO passivation layer).