Nanostructure control of graphene-composited TiO2 by a one-step solvothermal approach for high performance dye-sensitized solar cellsElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Detailed experimental procedures, AFM images, SEM images, J-V curves for optimization, and tables containing EDX results, BET results and calculation data. See DOI: 10.1039/c1nr11300c

• Main Authors: He, Ziming, Guai, Guanhong, Liu, Jing, Guo, Chunxian, Chye Loo, Joachim Say, Li, Chang Ming, Tan, Timothy Thatt Yang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 02.11.2011
• ISSN: 2040-3364; 2040-3372
• DOI: 10.1039/c1nr11300c

We present a one-step solvothermal approach to prepare uniform graphene-TiO 2 nanocomposites with delicately controlled TiO 2 nanostructures, including ultra-small 2 nm nanoparticles, 12 nm nanoparticles and nanorods. Using three composites as photoanode materials, the effect of nanostructure of graphene-composited TiO 2 on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells was investigated, and results showed that the ultra-small 2 nm TiO 2 -graphene composite based photoanode exhibited the highest power conversion efficiency of 7.25%. Nanostructure control of graphene-composited TiO 2 optimizes the synergistic effects of TiO 2 and incorporated graphene for high performance DSSCs.