Fabrication of open-end TiO2 nanotubes arrays on front-illuminated dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

In this study, we used secondary anodized to prepare open-end TiO 2 nanotubes arrays and then transferred it to FTO glass applied on front-illuminated dye-sensitized solar cells. XRD patterns found the TiO 2 nanotubes will form anatase phase while the annealed temperature greater than 280°C. In FE-SEM analysis, TiO2 nanotubes under 280°C annealed temperatures and immersed H2O2 for 20 minutes can be obtained open-end TiO2 nanotubes arrays membrane. The conversion efficiency with different length of TiO2 nanotubes photoelectrodes are 4.82 %, 5.08 %, 4.85 % with the length of 15μm, 21μm, 28μm, respectively. After TiCl4 treatment, the efficiency of TiO2 nanotubes photoelectrode with the length of 21 μm for dye sensitized solar cell can be improved up to 5.63 %. In the IPCE analysis, the value of IPCE increased from 50.6 to 74.2 % after TiCl4 treatment at 540 nm. These results indicate that TiO2 nanotubes treated with TiCl4 can increase the surface area of TiO2 nanotubes resulting in the increase of dye adsorption, and has great help for the increase on the conversion efficiency of DSSCs. © 2014 Taylor & Francis Group.