TiO2 Nanotube Based Dye-sensitized Photoanode

A front-illuminated TiO2 nanotube-based dye-sensitized solar-cell (DSC) was presented. Highly ordered TiO2 nanotube membranes were fabricated by two-step anodic oxidation of Ti foil, and then they were transferred to fluorine-doped tin oxide glass substrates to produce a special kind of photoanode. A series of comparison were made between DSCs with different length of nanotubes. Front-illuminated DSC with 32.8 μm nanotube membrane showed an efficiency of 4.15% with TiCl4 treatment. The crystal phase evolution of the TiO2 nanotubes was researched using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Electrochemical Impedance Spectra (EIS) results indicated that the electron transportation efficiency had a strong dependence on the thickness of photoanode, and interfacial resistances decreased with the increasing of nanotubes length. These results could help us to understand the mechanism of the electron transportation and further improve the photoanode of DSCs.