Conjugated polymer-sensitized solar cells based on electrospun TiO 2 nanofiber electrode

Abstract

When conjugated polymer is used as dye sensitizer in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), the device performance is usually limited by the poor penetration of conjugated polymer into the network formed by TiO2 nanoparticles. In this regard, we develop a novel photoanode composed of electrospun TiO 2 nanofibers. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveals the uniformity of the calcined TiO2 nanofibers. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicates that the calcined TiO2 nanofibers are polycrystalline and composed of pure anatase phase TiO2 grains. To demonstrate the application of the synthesized nanofibers in electronic devices, DSSCs are fabricated and investigated under illumination with AM 1.5 (100 mW cm-2) simulated sunlight. The initial results demonstrate the great potential of using conjugated polymer as the dye sensitizer for devices with TiO2 nanofiber electrode. © 2009 World Scientific Publishing Company.