Transmission enhanced photoanodes for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells

The power conversion efficiency elevation of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is limited by the incomplete dye excitation, recombination of photogenerated electrons with ions in liquid electrolyte, low electron density in conduction band (CB) of TiO2 nanoscrystalline as well as photodegradation of dye molecules. With an aim of enhancing the power conversion efficiency, here we describe an employment of SiO2 incorporated TiO2 to enhance transmission, to suppress the recombination of electron-electrolyte, to elevate the dye loading and to increase the dye photostability. We find that the highest conversion occurs at 7 wt% SiO2 in SiO2 incorporated TiO2 nanocrystallines is 9.13% (measured under standard AM1.5 test conditions) in comparison with 6.26% from pure TiO2 photoanode, giving an efficiency enhancement by 45.8%. This strategy provides new opportunities for the fabrication of highly efficient DSSCs, and the efficiency record is expected to be surpassed by scalable technique and components. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.