Fabrication of TiO2 nanocrystals/nanorods composites thin film electrode: Enhanced performance of dye-sensitized solar cells

• The composited film was constructed by TiO2 nanocrystals and nanorods.
• The TiO2 nanorods in composited film electrodes provide a direct electron transport path.
• DSCs based on the composited film electrodes have much lower Kr, longer τn and Ln.

The TiO2 thin film (CTTF) composed of nanocrystals (NCs) and one-dimensional (1D) single crystalline nanorods (NRs) was prepared and then used as electrode to fabricate dye sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The kinetic parameters of electron transport in CTTF were investigated. Results indicated that due to the direct path for fast electron transport in NRs, the fabricated CTTF electrodes-based DSCs have much lower recombination rate, longer electron life time and electron diffusion length than that based on the pure TiO2 NCs electrodes.