Hydrothermally growth of novel hierarchical structures titanium dioxide for high efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells

We report an innovative development of novel double layered photoanodes made of hierarchical TiO2 micro-corollas as the overlayer and TiO2 nanoforest as the underlayer (HTCF), for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). They are obtained by a facile hydrothermal reaction of TiO2 nanorods array with top microspheres (MS)/FTO (Fluorine-doped tin oxide) glass substrate in an alkaline solution. In this process, the microspheres and nanorods are transformed into micro-corollas and nanotrees, respectively. The photoanodes with HTCF structure can greatly improve the light scattering ability due to their novel structures. Moreover, the enhanced surface area of HTCF can lead to larger dye loading, which achieves the higher light harvesting capacity. Base on the fast electron transport of the interior nanorods, higher light scattering and harvesting capacities, this novel HTCF photoanode realizes tri-functions. The overall power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the HTCF DSSCs are 51% increase in the conversion efficiency compare with those of constructed by bare TiO2 nanorod arrays. In our work, tri-functions of photoanodes are obtained by improving the 1D TiO2 nanostructures (nanorod, nanowire, nanotube et al.). To the best of our knowledge, it is a significant fabrication technology breakthrough for the photoanode of dye-sensitized solar cells. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.