Rutile TiO2 Microspheres with Exposed Nano-Acicular Single Crystals for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Uniquely structured rutile TiO2 microspheres with exposed nano-acicular single crystals have been successfully synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method. After calcination at 450 ℃ for 2 h, the futile TiO2 microspheres with a high surface area of 132 m2/g have been utilized as a light harvesting...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nano research 2011-10, Vol.4 (10), p.938-947
Main Authors: Zhang, Haimin, Yu, Hua, Han, Yanhe, Liu, Porun, Zhang, Shanqing, Wang, Peng, Cheng, Yibing, Zhao, Huijun
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Atomic/Molecular Structure and Spectra
Biomedicine
Biotechnology
Chemistry and Materials Science
Condensed Matter Physics
Crystals
Efficiency
Glass substrates
Light
Materials Science
Nanoparticles
Nanotechnology
Particle size
Research Article
Single crystals
Solar cells
Surface area
TiO2纳米粒子
Titanium dioxide
光能利用效率
微球
染料敏化太阳能电池
电子转移反应
纳米二氧化钛
金红石型二氧化钛
针状单晶
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Summary:Uniquely structured rutile TiO2 microspheres with exposed nano-acicular single crystals have been successfully synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method. After calcination at 450 ℃ for 2 h, the futile TiO2 microspheres with a high surface area of 132 m2/g have been utilized as a light harvesting enhancement material for dye-sensitized solar cells （DSSCs）. The resultant DSSCs exhibit an overall light conversion efficiency of 8.41% for TiO2 photoanodes made of futile TiO2 microspheres and anatase TiO, nanoparticles （mass ratio of 1：1）, significantly higher than that of pure anatase TiO2 nanoparticle photoanodes of similar thickness （6.74%）. Such a significant improvement in performance can be attributed to the enhanced light harvesting capability and synergetic electron transfer effect. This is because the photoanodes made of futile TiO2 microsphere possess high refractive index which improves the light utilisation efficiency, suitable microsphere core sizes （450-800 nm） to effectively scatter visible light, high surface area for dye loading, and synergetic electron transfer effects between nanoparticulate anatase and nano-acicular futile single crystals phases giving high electron collection efficiency.
ISSN:1998-0124
1998-0000
DOI:10.1007/s12274-011-0150-9