Graphene-compositing optimization of the properties of dye-sensitized solar cells

• Graphene is of high specific surface area and high conductivity.
• Graphene was composited into TiO2 to form graphene-composited photoelectrodes.
• High Jsc and η were obtained for the optimal solar cells with graphene compositing.
• The absorbed dyes of the photoelectrodes increased with increasing compositing graphene.
• Improved property is attributed to the increase of the films’ specific surface area.

Graphene-composited TiO2 photoelectrodes are prepared by hydrothermal method. The influences of different amount of graphene on the structures and properties of the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are studied and an optimal graphene-composited DSSC is obtained. Studies indicate that compositing of graphene can effectively enhance the open circuit voltage, short circuit current density, and photoelectric conversion efficiency (η) of the DSSCs. Furthermore, the η of the DSSC with the optimal graphene-composited TiO2 film is 7.02 ± 0.06%, significantly higher than that of the pure TiO2 DSSC. These improvements can be attributed to the increased dye absorption due probably to the increase of the photoelectrode films’ specific surface area and the good conductivity of graphene.

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