Processing and characterization of a TiO2 paste based on small particle size powders for dye-sensitized solar cell semi-transparent photo-electrodes

The formulation and the preparation of a TiO2 paste for dye-sensitized solar cell technology are proposed. The TiO2 paste is characterized in terms of rheology, morphology, cross section, specific surface area, and average pore size. A conversion efficiency of 7.42% without any chemical treatment or scattering layer was obtained using the optimal thickness of 11 mu m as carried out in this work. The results over different batches of the paste confirm the stability and the reproducibility. The characterization of the TiO2 semi-transparent film is completed by investigating the dye adsorption saturation time after cyclic dye dipping steps through UVVis spectra measurements. Copyright (C) 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.