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Flower‐like TiO 2 with highly exposed {001} facets used as scattering layers for dye‐sensitized solar cells
Author(s) -
Gan Wei,
Niu Haihong,
Shang Xin,
Zhou Ru,
Guo Zhiqiang,
Mao Xiaoli,
Wan Lei,
Xu Jinzhang,
Miao Shiding
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
physica status solidi (a)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.532
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1862-6319
pISSN - 1862-6300
DOI - 10.1002/pssa.201532461
Subject(s) - materials science , dye sensitized solar cell , anatase , adsorption , photoelectric effect , dopant , electrolyte , chemical engineering , scattering , energy conversion efficiency , optoelectronics , nanotechnology , photocatalysis , optics , chemistry , doping , electrode , organic chemistry , physics , engineering , catalysis
The TiO 2 crystals of flower‐like shapes (FF‐TiO 2 ) were prepared by a one‐step hydrothermal reaction from the metallic titanium powders. The synthesized TiO 2 particles exhibit truncated tetragonal bipyramidal morphologies, which has ∼30% of the surface enclosed by the {001} facets. The FF‐TiO 2 was employed as back‐illumination photoanodes in fabricating the dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The power‐conversion efficiency of the DSSCs was found to increase from 5.35% to 7.65% after incorporation of the FF‐TiO 2 into the P25 fabricated photoanodes. The specific structure and the dopant fluorine were proven to have great impacts on the lifetime ( τ n ) for the photoelectrons to stay in the conduction band of TiO 2 and the recombination time ( τ r ) of the photogenerated electrons that would be quenched by the I 3 − ions. Reasons for the improvement in the photovoltaic properties have been clarified as follows: (1) the microsized particles were prepared within the optimum size region for Mie scattering; (2) the flower‐shaped structured FF‐TiO 2 enhanced the saturated capacity for adsorption of dye molecules; and (3) the {001} facets with adsorbed fluorine (F − ) at the surface could remove the trap states, and restrain the photoelectrons recombination between the photoanode and electrolyte.