TiO2/Nb2O5 core–sheath nanofibers film: Co-electrospinning fabrication and its application in dye-sensitized solar cells

Novel TiO2/Nb2O5 core–sheath nanofibers (NFs) were prepared via co-electrospinning. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were assembled using TiO2/Nb2O5 NF films as photoanode. The incident photo-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and photocurrent–voltage (I–V) characteristics were measured to evaluate the performance of DSSCs. The TiO2/Nb2O5-based DSSCs are superior to their TiO2-based counterparts. The conversion efficiency is enhanced from 4.5 to 5.8%, which corresponds to an increase of ca. 30%. And the enhancement mechanism was discussed.

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► Novel TiO2/Nb2O5 core–sheath nanofibers (NFs) film is prepared via co-electrospinning.
► Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are assembled using TiO2/Nb2O5 NF films as photoanode.
► TiO2/Nb2O5 NF-based DSSCs are superior to pure TiO2 NF-based ones.