Improved the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells by incorporating mesoporous silica (SBA-15) materials in scattering layer

The surface-modified SBA-15 molecular sieve materials (denoted as m-SBA-15), which are incorporated into the scattering layer, are prepared on the P90 TiO2 electrode to enhance the solar-conversion efficiency of the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The performance of the DSSC is also found to be further improved when the addition small amounts of TiO2 nanorod (Tnr) in the photoelectrodes. It is found that the composite P90–Tnr TiO2 photoelectrode with an m-SBA-15 scattering layer shows the highest amount of N3 dye adsorption (approximately 12.09 × 10−8 mol cm−2); and also exhibits higher diffuse reflectance in the wavelength of 400–800 nm. The optimal electrochemical performance of the DSSC comprised of the composite P90–Tnr TiO2 photoelectrode with the conversion efficiency (η) of approximately 6.94%, the short current density (Jsc) of 15.63 mA cm−2, an open-circuit (Voc) of 0.712 V, and a filler factor of 0.62 is obtained under illumination of 100 mW cm−2. This study demonstrates that the addition small amounts of TiO2 nanorods (Tnr) can enhance the electron transport properties and the incorporating large size SBA-15 silica into the scattering layer can greatly enhance the light absorption by the scattering effect while maintaining a higher dye adsorption.

► The surface-modified SBA-15 molecular sieve material, which is incorporated into the scattering layer, is prepared on the composite TiO2 electrode to enhance the solar-conversion efficiency of the dye-sensitized solar cell.
► Those SBA-15 materials can significantly enhance the light absorption by the scattering effect while maintaining a higher dye adsorption.
► The electrochemical performance of the DSSC is further improved with the addition small amounts (ca. 2.5 wt.%) of TiO2 nanorod into the anode.