Hybrid photoanode films based on sparse ZnO rod array-TiO2 nanoparticles in dye-sensitized solar cells

ZnO-TiO2 hybrid photoanodes were fabricated via the doctor-blade method by integrating vertically-grown sparse ZnO arrays with hydrothermal TiO2 nanoparticles. A special surface-coating technique was developed to deposit a thin TiO2 layer on the surface of ZnO rods. Microstructure, optical and photo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inScience China. Physics, mechanics & astronomy Vol. 55; no. 7; pp. 1183 - 1188
Main Authors Wang, CaiLu, Gao, XiangDong, Li, XiaoMin, Jiang, ZhengWu, Yang, ZhengHong, Gu, ZhengYing, He, Peng
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Heidelberg SP Science China Press 01.07.2012
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects
Arrays
Astronomy
Classical and Continuum Physics
Dye-sensitized solar cells
Dyes
Efficiency
Electrolytic cells
Incident light
Microstructure
Nanoparticles
Observations and Techniques
Photoanodes
Physics
Physics and Astronomy
Rods
Scattering
Solar cells
TiO2纳米粒子
Titanium dioxide
Zinc oxide
染料敏化太阳能电池
氧化锌
混合光
稀疏阵列
纳米TiO2
纳米二氧化钛
阳极膜
hybrid photoanode
ZnO
TiO
dye-sensitized solar cells
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Summary:ZnO-TiO2 hybrid photoanodes were fabricated via the doctor-blade method by integrating vertically-grown sparse ZnO arrays with hydrothermal TiO2 nanoparticles. A special surface-coating technique was developed to deposit a thin TiO2 layer on the surface of ZnO rods. Microstructure, optical and photoelectrochemical performance of the hybrid photoanodes were investi- gated. The denser ZnO array exhibited bad filling behavior of nanoparticles in the interspace of ZnO rods, strong scattering and low conversion efficiency （0.27%）. The sparser array showed a much better integrated microstructure, improved transmittance and high conversion efficiency （2.68%）. The surface modification of ZnO rods by the TiO2 thin layer was found useful in im- proving the interfacial microstructure between the ZnO rod and the TiO2 bulk film, and the total conversion efficiency of 3.01% was achieved, higher than that of the pure TiO2 nanoparticle cell （2.93%）. The increased scattering effects on the inci- dent light, the enhanced electron transportation at TiO2/dye/electrolyte interface, and the inhabited recombination were respon- sible for this improvement.
Bibliography:11-5000/N
ZnO-TiO2 hybrid photoanodes were fabricated via the doctor-blade method by integrating vertically-grown sparse ZnO arrays with hydrothermal TiO2 nanoparticles. A special surface-coating technique was developed to deposit a thin TiO2 layer on the surface of ZnO rods. Microstructure, optical and photoelectrochemical performance of the hybrid photoanodes were investi- gated. The denser ZnO array exhibited bad filling behavior of nanoparticles in the interspace of ZnO rods, strong scattering and low conversion efficiency （0.27%）. The sparser array showed a much better integrated microstructure, improved transmittance and high conversion efficiency （2.68%）. The surface modification of ZnO rods by the TiO2 thin layer was found useful in im- proving the interfacial microstructure between the ZnO rod and the TiO2 bulk film, and the total conversion efficiency of 3.01% was achieved, higher than that of the pure TiO2 nanoparticle cell （2.93%）. The increased scattering effects on the inci- dent light, the enhanced electron transportation at TiO2/dye/electrolyte interface, and the inhabited recombination were respon- sible for this improvement.
hybrid photoanode, ZnO, TiO2, dye-sensitized solar cells
ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 23
ISSN:1674-7348
1869-1927
DOI:10.1007/s11433-012-4770-1