Improve photovoltaic performance of titanium dioxide nanorods based dye-sensitized solar cells by Ca-doping

• TiO2 nanorods doped with Ca ions were synthesized by one-step hydrothermal method.
• The flat band edge of rutile TiO2 shifted positively via Ca-doping.
• The photoelectric conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on TiO2 electrode was much enhanced by Ca-doping.
• A relatively high open circuit voltage was obtained by adopting Ca-doped TiO2 nanorods electrode.

Ca-doped TiO2 nanorod arrays were prepared via the one-step hydrothermal method successfully, and the effect of Ca ions content on the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells has been fully discussed in the paper. Although no obvious change on the microstructure and morphology was observed by field emission scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope for the Ca-doped samples, the results of X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed that Ti4+ was substituted with Ca2+ successfully. UV–vis spectroscopy results revealed that the flat band edge shifted positively by Ca ions doping. The photovoltaic conversion efficiency of the dye-sensitized solar cells based on the 2 mol% Ca-doped TiO2 electrode was 43% higher than that of the undoped one due to the less recombination possibility.

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