Performance Enhancement in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with Composite Mixtures of TiO2 Nanoparticles and TiO2 Nanotubes

doi:10.1007/s40195-015-0205-0

Abstract

Abstract:

In the present investigation, a new composite nanostructured photoanodes were prepared using TiO₂ nanotubes (TNTs) with TiO₂ nanoparticles (TNPs). TNPs were synthesized by sol-gel method, and TNTs were prepared through alkali hydrothermal method. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated with different photoanodes comprising of various ratios of TNTs + TNPs, synthetic indigo dye as photosensitizer, PMII (1-propyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide) as ionic liquid electrolyte and cobalt sulfide as counter electrode. The structures and morphologies of TNPs and TNTs were analyzed through X-ray diffractometer, transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscopes. The results of the investigation showed that the DSSC-4 made with composite photoanode structure (TNTs/TNPs) (90% of TNPs + 10% of TNTs) had improved photocurrent efficiency (2.11%) than pure TNPs (1.00%) and TNT film (0.78%). Electrochemical impedance spectra revealed that the composite TNTs/TNPs film-based DSSCs possessed the lowest charge-transfer resistances and longest electron lifetime. Hence, it could be concluded that the composite TNTs/TNPs photoanode facilitates the charge transport rate and enhances the efficiencies of DSSCs.

Key words: TNPs/TNTs composite mixtures, Charge recombination, Electron transport, Photovoltaic parameters, EIS analysis

D. Maheswari, P. Venkatachalam. Performance Enhancement in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with Composite Mixtures of TiO₂ Nanoparticles and TiO₂ Nanotubes[J]. Acta Metallurgica Sinica (English Letters), 2015, 28(3): 354-361.

Figures/Tables 10

References 43

[1]	B. O’Regan, M. Grätzel, Nature 353, 737 (1991)
[2]	M. Grätzel, J. Photochem. Photobiol. C 4, 145 (2003)
[3]	M. Grätzel, J. Photochem. Photobiol. A 164, 3 (2004)
[4]	A.Y. El-Etre, S.M. Reda, Appl. Surf. Sci. 256, 6601(2010)
[5]	P. Tiwana, P. Docampo, M.B. Johnston, H.J. Snaith, L.M. Herz, ACS Nano 5, 5158 (2011)
[6]	C.J. Barbe, F. Arendse, P. Comte, M. Jirousek, F. Lenzmann, V. Shklover, J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 80, 3157(1997)
[7]	Z. Wang, C. Huang, Y. Huang, Y. Hou, P. Xie, B. Zhang, H. Cheng,Chem. Mater. 13, 678(2001)
[8]	Y.C. Liu, Y.F. Lu, Y.Z. Zeng, C.H. Liao, J.C. Chung, T.Y. Wei, Int. J. Photoenergy (2011). doi:10.1155/2011/619069
[9]	M. Law, L.E. Greene, J.C. Johnson, R. Saykally, P.D. Yang,Nat. Mater. 4, 455(2005)
[10]	A.O.T. Patrocínio, E.B. Paniago, R.M. Paniago, N.Y.M. Iha, J. Phys. Chem. C 114, 17594 (2010)
[11]	M. Rodriguez-Reyes, H.J. Dorantes-Rosales, J. Sol-Gel. Sci. Technol. 59, 658(2011)
[12]	G.K. Mor, O.K. Varghese, M. Paulose, C.A. Grimes,Adv. Funct. Mater. 15, 1291(2005)
[13]	K. Zhu, R.N. Nathan, M. Alexander, J.F. Arthur,Nano Lett. 7, 69(2007)
[14]	G.K. Mor, K. Shankar, M. Paulose, O.K. Varghese, C.A. Grimes,Nano Lett. 6, 215(2006)
[15]	C.C. Chen, H.W. Chung, C.H. Chen, H.P. Lu, C.M. Lan, S.F. Chen, L.Y. Luo, C.S. Hung, E. Wei, G. Diau, J. Phys. Chem. C 112, 19151 (2008)
[16]	T.H. Meen, W. Water, W.R. Chen, S.M. Chao, L.W. Ji, C.J. Huang, J. Phys. Chem. Solids 70, 472 (2009)
[17]	K. Zhu, T.B. Vinzant, N.R. Neale, A.J. Frank,Nano Lett. 7, 3739(2007)
[18]	R. Mohammadpour, A. Iraji zad, A. Hagfeldt, G. Boschloo, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 12, 21487(2001)
[19]	C. Kang, Y. Xie, E. Xie,Optoelectron. Adv. Mater. Rapid Commun. 5, 518(2011)
[20]	C.H. Lee, S.W. Rhee, H.W. Choi,Nanoscale Res. Lett. 7, 48(2012)
[21]	Y. Ohsaki, N. Masaki, T. Kitamura, Y. Wada, T. Okamoto, T. Sekino, K. Niihara, S. Yanagida,Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 7, 4157(2005)
[22]	D. Kuang, C. Klein, S. Ito, J.E. Moser, R. Humphry-Baker, S.M. Zakeeruddin, M. Grätzel,Adv. Funct. Mater. 17, 154(2007)
[23]	R.A. Caruso, M. Antonietti, M. Giersig, H.P. Hentze, J. Jia,Chem. Mater. 13, 1114(2001)
[24]	S. Hwang, H.H. Lee, C. Park, C.H. Lee, C. Kim, C. Park, M.H. Lee, W. Lee, J. Park, K. Kim, C. Park, N.G. Kim,Chem. Commun. 46, 4887(2007)
[25]	F. de Angelis, S. Fantacci, A. Selloni, M. Grätzel, M.K. Nazeeruddin, Nano Lett 7, 3189(2007)
[26]	M.I. Abdullah, M.R. Saeed, A. Janjua, A. Mahmood, S. Ali, M. Ali, Bull. Korean Chem. Soc. 34, 2093 (2013)
[27]	F. Cervantes-Navarro, D. Glossman-Mitnik, J. Photochem. Photobiol. A Chem. Rev. 255, 24(2013)
[28]	X.J. Chen, J. Zhao, J.Y. Zhang, L.H. Qiu, D. Xu, H.G. Zhang, X.Y. Han, B.Q. Sun, G.H. Fu, Y. Zhang, F. Yan, J. Mater. Chem. 12, 18018(2012)
[29]	V. Armel, J.M. Pringle, M. Forsyth, D.R.Mac Farlane, D.L. Officer, P. Wagner, Chem. Commun. 46, 3146(2010)
[30]	X. Pan, M. Wang, X.Q. Fang, C.N. Zhang, Z.P. Huo, S.Y. Dai,Sci. China Chem. 56, 1463(2013)
[31]	P. Wang, S.M. Zakeeruddin, I. Exnar, M. Grätzel,Chem. Commun. 8, 2972(2002)
[32]	P. Wang, S.M. Zakeeruddin, R. Humphry-Baker, M. Grätzel,Chem. Mater. 16, 2694(2004)
[33]	Z.S. Yang, C.Y. Chen, C.W. Liu, H.T. Chang,Chem. Commun. 46, 5485(2010)
[34]	J.Y. Lin, J.H. Liao, S.W. Chou, ActaElectrochim. ActaActa 56, 8818 (2011)
[35]	A. Fujishima, T.N. Rao, D.A. Tryk, J. Photochem. Photobiol. C 29, 1 (2000)
[36]	K. Zhu, N.R. Neale, A. Miedaner, A.J. Frank,Nano Lett. 7, 69(2007)
[37]	K. Hara, Z.S. Wang, T. Sato, A. Furube, R. Katoh, H. Sugihara, Y. Dan-oh, C. Kasada, A. Shinpo, S. Suga, J. Phys. Chem. B 109, 15476 (2005)
[38]	B. Tan, Y. Wu, J. Phys. Chem. B 110, 15932 (2006)
[39]	B. Tan, Y. Wu, J. Phys. Chem. B 110, 2087 (2006)
[40]	J. Bisquert, J. Phys. Chem. B 106, 325-333 (2002)
[41]	J. Nelson,Coord. Chem. Rev. 248, 1181(2004)
[42]	J. Van de Lagemaat, N.G. Park, A.J. Frank, J. Phys. Chem. B 104, 2044 (2008)
[43]	G. Schlichthorl, N.G. Park, A.J. Frank, J. Phys. Chem. B 103, 782 (1999)

DSSCs	R _s (Ω)	R _rec (Ω)	R _ct (Ω)	C _rec (µF)	C _ct (µF)	Z _d (Ω-s^0.5)	k _eff (s^-1)	τ _rec (µs)	τ _d (µs)	L _n (µm)	D _eff (10^-5 cm²/s)	µ (10^-4 cm²/V s)	σ (10^-5 S/cm)	η _cc (%)
DSSC-1 (bulk TiO₂)	2.996	83.05	60.07	80.67	2.1	2	149	6,699	4,845	11.76	21	80.3	0.075	27
DSSC-2 (100% TNPs)	3	68	37	112	8	1.4	131	7,616	4,144	13.56	24	93.9	0.092	46
DSSC-3 (100% TNTs)	2.996	78.02	50.09	92.66	4.11	1.8	138	7,229	4,641	12.48	22	83.8	0.08	36
DSSC-4 (10% TNPs + 90% TNTs)	2.997	43.09	15.09	230.5	18.1	0.4	100	9,932	3,478	16.89	29	111.18	1.451	65
DSSC-5 (50% TNPs + 50% TNTs)	2.997	49.09	21.12	185.8	14.12	0.8	109	9,120	3,924	15.25	25	99.1	1.273	57
DSSC-6 (90% TNPs + 10% TNTs)	2.997	55.09	27.06	150.7	10.12	1.2	120	8,302	4,077	14.27	22	95.4	1.135	51

DSSCs	R _s (Ω)	R _rec (Ω)	R _ct (Ω)	C _rec (µF)	C _ct (µF)	Z _d (Ω-s^0.5)	k _eff (s^-1)	τ _rec (µs)	τ _d (µs)	L _n (µm)	D _eff (10^-5 cm²/s)	µ (10^-4 cm²/V s)	σ (10^-5 S/cm)	η _cc (%)
DSSC-1 (bulk TiO₂)	2.996	83.05	60.07	80.67	2.1	2	149	6,699	4,845	11.76	21	80.3	0.075	27
DSSC-2 (100% TNPs)	3	68	37	112	8	1.4	131	7,616	4,144	13.56	24	93.9	0.092	46
DSSC-3 (100% TNTs)	2.996	78.02	50.09	92.66	4.11	1.8	138	7,229	4,641	12.48	22	83.8	0.08	36
DSSC-4 (10% TNPs + 90% TNTs)	2.997	43.09	15.09	230.5	18.1	0.4	100	9,932	3,478	16.89	29	111.18	1.451	65
DSSC-5 (50% TNPs + 50% TNTs)	2.997	49.09	21.12	185.8	14.12	0.8	109	9,120	3,924	15.25	25	99.1	1.273	57
DSSC-6 (90% TNPs + 10% TNTs)	2.997	55.09	27.06	150.7	10.12	1.2	120	8,302	4,077	14.27	22	95.4	1.135	51

Photoelectrode	V _oc (mV)	J _sc (mA/cm²)	V _max (mV)	J _max (mA/cm²)	FF (%)	η (%)
DSSC-1 (bulk TiO₂)	450	2.0	310	1.0	34	0.30
DSSC-2 (100% TNPs)	480	5.0	335	3.0	42	1.00
DSSC-3 (100% TNTs)	460	3.0	350	1.5	38	0.52
DSSC-4 (90% TNPs + 10% TNTs)	540	7.5	440	4.5	50	2.03
DSSC-5 (50% TNPs + 50% TNTs)	530	6.5	420	4.0	49	1.69
DSSC-6 (10% TNPs + 10% TNTs)	520	5.5	380	3.5	47	1.34

Photoelectrode	V _oc (mV)	J _sc (mA/cm²)	V _max (mV)	J _max (mA/cm²)	FF (%)	η (%)
DSSC-1 (bulk TiO₂)	450	2.0	310	1.0	34	0.30
DSSC-2 (100% TNPs)	480	5.0	335	3.0	42	1.00
DSSC-3 (100% TNTs)	460	3.0	350	1.5	38	0.52
DSSC-4 (90% TNPs + 10% TNTs)	540	7.5	440	4.5	50	2.03
DSSC-5 (50% TNPs + 50% TNTs)	530	6.5	420	4.0	49	1.69
DSSC-6 (10% TNPs + 10% TNTs)	520	5.5	380	3.5	47	1.34

Performance Enhancement in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with Composite Mixtures of TiO₂ Nanoparticles and TiO₂ Nanotubes

RichHTML

PDF (PC)

Knowledge

Abstract

Cite this article

share this article

Figures/Tables 10

References 43

Related Articles 0

Recommended Articles

Metrics

Comments