Effects of electron beam irradiation on the photoelectrochemical properties of TiO2 film for DSSCs

ABSTRACTTiO2 has been widely utilized for various industrial applications such as photochemical cells, photocatalysts, and electrochromic devices. The crystallinity and morphology of TiO2 films play a significant role in determining the overall efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In this study, the preparation of nanostructured TiO2 films by electron beam irradiation and their characterization were investigated for the application of DSSCs. TiO2 films were exposed to 20–100 kGy of electron beam irradiation using 1.14 MeV energy acceleration with a 7.46 mA beam current and 10 kGy/pass dose rates. These samples were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. After irradiation, each TiO2 film was tested as a DSSC. At low doses of electron beam irradiation (20 kGy), the energy conversion efficiency of the film was approximately 4.0% under illumination of simulated sunlight with AM 1.5 G (100 mW/cm2). We found that electron beam irradiation resulted in surface modification of the TiO2 films, which could explain the observed increase in the conversion efficiency in irradiated versus non-irradiated films.

► The surface of TiO2 particles was modified by electron beam irradiation.
► The aggregation between each TiO2 particle was observed in the SEM images.
► Ti3+ state was enhanced due to the excess electron injection via electron beam irradiation.
► The power conversion efficiency of DSSCs was enhanced.