Nanostructure Developments of TiO2 Nanocrystals and Aerogels and Their Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Application.

We synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles (TPs) as a reference via hydrothermal method and also TiO2 aerogels (TAs) via CO2 supercritical drying method. We investigated crystal phase transformation behavior of TPs and TAs with temperature. As-prepared TPs are anatase and rutile phase transformation from anatase starts at 600 °C and was complete at 700 °C. However, TAs are amorphous phase until 300 °C and the crystallization to anatase occurs at 400 °C, and remains anantase phase until 700 °C. At the results of nitrogen adsorption and desorption analyses, TPs with specific surface area of 209 m2/g at 100 °C showed the decrease of the specific surface area and pore volume with increasing temperature and 95% of decrease at 700 °C. TAs showed higher specific surface area, 498 m2/g at 100 °C, and the decreasing trend according to temperature is similar with those of TPs. We prepared three types of photoelectrodes, TPs, TAs, and TATPs (1:1 TAs and TPs composite photoelectrode). After results of DSC photocurrent conversion efficiency measurements of the three type cells, we found that TATPs showed the improved cell efficiency by 1% point, compared with a reference TPs below 15 micrometer thickness. In conclusion, the introduction of nanoporous TAs can improve the photocurrent conversion efficiency due to their high specific surface area for high dye adsorption without degrading of electron transfer.

Enhanced performance of TiO2 nanoparticle and aerogel composite electrode for dye sensitized solar cell.

To evaluate the effects of specific surface area to the photocurrent conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC), we adopted TiO2 aerogel (TA)/nanoparticle (TP) composite as a photoelectrode. We prepared three types of photoelectrodes, TPs, TAs, and TATPs (1:1 TAs and TPs composite photoelectrode). The performance of TATP composite electrode was compared with that of TP and TAs. TATPs showed the improved cell efficiency, more than 0.5%, compared with a reference TPs below 15 micrometer thickness. Although the introduction of TAs increases the specific surface area for the dye adsorption, DSC composed of only TAs does not show the best efficiency result due to the crack generation. In conclusion, to produce the best photocurrent conversion efficiency, the high specific surface area of TiO2 photoelectrode for high dye adsorption should be balanced with proper control of the good electron transfer path.