Ag-encapsulated Single-Crystalline Anatase TiO2 Nanoparticle photoanodes for enhanced dye-sensitized solar cell performance

作者：Xu, Yuanmei; Zhang, Haiyan^*; Li, Xueshi; Wang, Wenguang; Li, Jinlun

来源：Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2017, 695: 1104-1111.

DOI：10.1016/j.jallcom.2016.10.236

• TiO2
• Single-crystalline
• Plasmonic
• Stepwise impregnation
• Dye-sensitized solar cells

In this article, Ag-encapsulated Single-Crystalline Anatase TiO2 Nanoparticles (SC-TiO2@Ag) are prepared and introduced into dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The Single-Crystalline Anatase TiO2 Nanoparticles (SCANPs) were prepared by the hydrothermal transformation of titanate nanotubes at pH of 2, and the SC-TiO2@Ag plasmonic nanocomposite materials were successfully prepared through a facile stepwise impregnation-chemical reduction method without using any stabilizer or surfactant. An optimized SC-TiO2@Ag modified DSSC is achieved with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.33%, which is significantly superior to that of the unmodified TiO2 DSSC with a PCE of 6.32%. This enhanced efficiency is mainly attributed to the plasmonic effect, improved interfacial charge transfer, and retarded charge recombination, reduction in the band gap energy, and enhanced the optical absorption of dye, as well as the increase of the amount of the dye absorption. The influence of silver ammonia solution [Ag(NH3)](2)OH concentration on the overall efficiency was also investigated, and the optimum concentration was found to be 3 mM.

• 出版日期2017-2-25
• 单位广东工业大学