A review on green synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles: enhancing DSSC performance and exploring future opportunities

Abstract

Global energy security has been destabilized by post-pandemic disruptions, geopolitical instability, and climate-related events, accelerating the need for sustainable alternatives such as solar technologies. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), a cost-effective and environmentally friendly third-generation photovoltaic technology, have attracted significant research interest in recent decades, particularly in enhancing the properties of the photoanode material. This review emphasizes the role of green synthesis approaches as promising alternatives to conventional chemical methods. These eco-friendly strategies utilize biological compounds as reducing and capping agents, enabling better control over particle size and morphology, improving DSSC performance by enhancing electron transport properties and dye-loading capacity. However, product consistency and reproducibility issues remain significant challenges, particularly for scaling up and commercialization. This paper also outlines future directions, including extract fingerprinting, hybrid nanostructure development, and integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning for synthesis optimization. The green synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles holds strong potential for advancing DSSC performance while supporting the transition toward sustainable energy technologies.