Open AccessEffect of binder molecular weight on morphology of TiO2 films prepared by tape casting and their photovoltaic performance
Author(s) -
Nikola Tasić,
Zorica Branković,
Zorica Marinković-Stanojević,
Goran Branković
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
science of sintering/science of sintering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.309
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 1820-7413
pISSN - 0350-820X
DOI - 10.2298/sos1203365t
Subject(s) - materials science , polyethylene glycol , tape casting , microstructure , anatase , porosity , peg ratio , sintering , morphology (biology) , casting , photovoltaic system , composite material , polyethylene , dye sensitized solar cell , titanium , titanium oxide , chemical engineering , metallurgy , photocatalysis , organic chemistry , catalysis , electrolyte , electrode , chemistry , engineering , economics , ecology , genetics , finance , biology
Titanium(IV) oxide in the form of anatase has proven to be the best choice for photoanodic material in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The aim of the work was to study the influence of binder molecular weight on the morphology of deposited films, and consequently, DSC parameters. For this study, five different TiO2 tape casting slips were prepared from commercially available nanoanatase powder and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a binder. The process of drying and sintering was carefully designed, so that the organic template was slowly decomposed, leaving favorable crack-free, porous structure. It was found that there is an optimal region of binder molecular weight for obtaining homogeneous, nonagglomerated and porous microstructure which is a necessary condition for application of TiO2 films in DSCs. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III45007