Eco-friendly synthesis of core-shell structured (TiO2/Li2CO3) nanomaterials for low cost dye-sensitized solar cells

Core-shell structured TiO2/Li2CO3 electrode was successfully synthesized by eco-friendly solution growth technique. TiO2/Li2CO3 electrodes were characterized using X-ray Diffractometer (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and photocurrent-voltage measurements. The synthesized core-shell electrode material was sensitized with tetrabutylammonium cis-di(thiocyanato)-N,N′-bis(4-carboxylato-4′-carboxylic acid-2,2′-bipyridine)ruthenate(II) (N-719). The performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) based on N719 dye modified TiO2/Li2CO3 electrodes was investigated. The effect of various shell thickness on the photovoltaic performance of the core-shell structured electrode is also investigated. We found that Li2CO3 shells of all thicknesses perform as inert barriers which improve open-circuit voltage (Voc) of the DSCs. The energy conversion efficiency was greatly dependent on the thickness of Li2CO3 on TiO2 film, and the highest efficiency of 3.7% was achieved at the optimum Li2CO3 shell layer.