Immobilised TiO2 Mesocrystals with Exposed {001} Facets for Efficient Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

Bingyu Lei, Neil Robertson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The immobilization of titanium dioxide is necessary for several energy and environmental applications such as dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). A two-step fabrication route has been developed in this work including a near room temperature hydrolysis reaction to produce immobilized (NH4)2TiOF4 arrays, followed by successive topotactic transformations to immobilised TiO2 mesocrystals (imcTiO2). Hierarchical mesocrystal structure has thereby been successfully introduced to immobilised TiO2 without the use of expensive equipment or complex strategies. Thanks to the features of the nano-building blocks such as high surface area and high active {001} facets; collective properties including the common orientation of nanoparticles; and strong adhesion to the substrate inherited from the immobilized (NH4)2TiOF4 precursor, the imcTiO2 possesses a high dye pickup capability and optimal electron transport ability. The average power conversion efficiency from imcTiO2 based DSSCs is comparable to devices with two layers of printed commercial TiO2 under the same sintering condition, with the balanced short circuit current densities, similar open-circuit voltages, and outstanding fill factors.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2200831
JournalSolar RRL
Early online date1 Nov 2022
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 1 Nov 2022

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