Effect of heat treatment to the rutile based dye sensitized solar cell

The effect of heat treatment of aligned titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanorods and nanoflowers in the application of dye-sensitized solar cell were investigated. Both of these nanostructures were deposited on the fluorine-doped SnO2 transparent conducting glass substrate using one step hydrothermal method. Characterizations of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) with rutile-phased TiO2 nanorods and nanoflowers were performed such as surface morphology, structural property, dye-adsorption and energy conversion efficiency. In the DSC preparation, both TiO2 nanorods/nanoflowers, platinum (Pt), ruthenium dye N719 and DPMII electrolyte were used as photo electrode, counter electrode, dye solution and liquid electrolyte, respectively. Concentration of 3 M cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was added in the preparation of rutile-phased TiO2 nanorods and nanoflowers. All of the photo electrodes were heated at 150 °C, 250 °C, 350 °C, 450 °C, respectively. The thickness of TiO2 nanorods and nanoflowers-layers were 5 μm and 15 μm, respectively. Lastly, power conversion efficiency of DSC was performed under the light intensity of 100 mW/cm2. It was found that the highest power conversion efficiency was 3.27%, and heated at 450 °C.