The effect of TiCl4 treatment on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells

Au9 nanocluster adsorption and agglomeration control through sulfur modification of mesoporous TiO2

In the present work phenyl phosphine-protected Au9 nanoclusters were deposited onto (3-mercaptopropyl) trimethoxysilane (MPTMS) modified and unmodified mesoporous screen printed TiO2. The removal of the cluster ligands by annealing was applied to enhance the interaction between Au cluster cores and semiconductor surfaces in the creation of efficient photocatalytic systems. The heat treatment could lead to undesired agglomeration of Au clusters, affecting their unique properties as size specific clusters. To address this challenge, the semiconductor surfaces were modified by MPTMS. Characterization techniques confirm the effectiveness of the modification processes, and XPS demonstrates that S functionalized MTiO2 is more efficient than MTiO2 in increasing Au9 NCs adsorption by a factor of 10 and preventing Au cluster agglomeration even after annealing. Overall, this work contributes valuable insights into photocatalytic systems through controlled modification of semiconductor surfaces and Au nanocluster deposition.

The Anodization of Thin Titania Layers as a Facile Process towards Semitransparent and Ordered Electrode Material

Photoanodes consisting of titania nanotubes (TNTs) grown on transparent conductive oxides (TCO) by anodic oxidation are being widely investigated as a low-cost alternative to silicon-based materials, e.g., in solar light-harvesting applications. Intending to enhance the optical properties of those photoanodes, the modification of the surface chemistry or control of the geometrical characteristics of developed TNTs has been explored. In this review, the recent advancement in light-harvesting properties of transparent anodic TNTs formed onto TCO is summarized. The physical deposition methods such as magnetron sputtering, pulsed laser deposition and electron beam evaporation are the most reported for the deposition of Ti film onto TCO, which are subsequently anodized. A concise description of methods utilized to improve the adhesion of the deposited film and achieve TNT layers without cracks and delamination after the anodization is outlined. Then, the different models describing the formation mechanism of anodic TNTs are discussed with particular focus on the impact of the deposited Ti film thickness on the adhesion of TNTs. Finally, the effects of the modifications of both the surface chemistry and morphological features of materials on their photocatalyst and photovoltaic performances are discussed. For each section, experimental results obtained by different research groups are evoked.

Controlled Photoanode Properties for Large-Area Efficient and Stable Dye-Sensitized Photovoltaic Modules

Nowadays, a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) attracts attention to its development widely due to its several advantages, such as simple processes, low costs, and flexibility. In this work, we demonstrate the difference in device structures between small size and large size cells (5 cm × 5 cm, 10 cm × 10 cm and 10 cm × 15 cm). The design of the photoanode and dye-sensitized process plays important roles in affecting the cell efficiency and stability. The effects of the TiO₂ electrode, using TiCl_4(aq) pretreatment and post-treatment processes, are also discussed, whereas, the open-circuit voltage (Voc), short-circuit current density (Jsc), and module efficiency are successfully improved. Furthermore, the effects on module performances by some factors, such as dye solution concentration, dye soaking temperature, and electrolyte injection method are also investigated. We have demonstrated that the output power of a 5 cm × 5 cm DSSC module increases from 86.2 mW to 93.7 mW, and the module efficiency achieves an outstanding performance of 9.79%. Furthermore, enlarging the DSSC modules to two sizes (10 cm × 10 cm and 10 cm × 15 cm) and comparing the performance with different module designs (C-DSSC and S-DSSC) also provides the specific application of polymer sealing and preparing high-efficiency large-area DSSC modules.

Ali M, Sitther V, Ahammad AJS, Subhan MA, Uddin J. Enhancing the Performance of Dye Sensitized Solar Cells Using Silver Nanoparticles Modified Photoanode

In this study, silver nanoparticles were synthesized, characterized, and applied to a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) to enhance the efficiency of solar cells. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized with UV-Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The silver nanoparticles infused titanium dioxide film was also characterized by Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy. The performance of DSSC fabricated with silver nanoparticle-modified photoanode was compared with that of a control group. The current and voltage characteristics of the devices as well as the electrochemical impedance measurements were also carried out to assess the performance of the fabricated solar cells. The solar-to-electric efficiency of silver nanoparticles based DSSC was 1.76%, which is quite remarkable compared to the 0.98% realized for DSSC fabricated without silver nanoparticles.