Self-ordering anodized nanotubes: Enhancing the performance by surface plasmon for dye-sensitized solar cell

Journal Article · Tue May 15 04:00:00 EDT 2012 · Journal of Solid State Chemistry

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JSSC.2011.11.047· OSTI ID:22012112

Agarwala, S ^[1]; Ho, G W ^[1]

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1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive, Singapore 117576 (Singapore)

In the present work, electrochemical anodization has been used to prepare uniform TiO{sub 2} nanotube array photoelectrode. The average internal diameter, tube length and wall thickness of the optimized morphology is {approx}180 nm, 14 {mu}m and 10 nm, respectively. It was found that the tube diameter increases with the anodization voltage. Diffraction data reveals that the nanotubes consist solely of anatase phase. Back illuminated geometry of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), with nanotubes grown at 60 V for 2 h, gave a cell performance of 4.5%. TiO{sub 2} nanotubes are loaded with silver (Ag) nanoparticles synthesized by a hydrothermal route. The Ag particle size is controlled resulting in solar conversion efficiency to increase by 22%. The DSSC based on TiO{sub 2} nanotube with Ag nanoparticles shows power conversion efficiency of 5.5%. Detailed characterization are performed, presented and discussed. - Graphical abstract: Enhanced solar conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells by decorating TiO{sub 2} nanotube array with Ag nanoparticles. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Uniform array of TiO{sub 2} nanotubes synthesized via electrochemical anodization. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Back illuminated DSSC gave a cell performance of 4.5%. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer TiO{sub 2} nanotubes are loaded with Ag nanoparticles, which increased the power conversion efficiency to 5.5%.

• OSTI ID: 22012112
• Journal Information: Journal of Solid State Chemistry, Journal Name: Journal of Solid State Chemistry Vol. . 189; ISSN 0022-4596; ISSN JSSCBI
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
ANODIZATION
CONVERSION
DIFFRACTION
DYES
EFFICIENCY
MORPHOLOGY
NANOTUBES
PARTICLE SIZE
PARTICLES
SILVER
SOLAR CELLS
SURFACES
THICKNESS
TITANIUM OXIDES