A simple method to achieve light scattering in dye-sensitized solar cells using a low-temperature-sintering TiO2 paste

•A simple method for preparing a low-temperature-sintering TiO2 paste is presented.•This TiO2 paste was applied to photoelectrodes of DSSCs.•TiO2 bulk macroparticles were fabricated by secondary agglomeration.•The macroparticles produce a light scattering effect in DSSCs.•The photoelectric conversion efficiency was improved by 200%, up to 5.42%.

A low-temperature-sintering TiO2 paste prepared using a simple route designed to induce secondary agglomeration was applied to dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). This approach induces light scattering that improves the electron transport time, recombination time, and charge collection efficiency of the DSSCs. 2PH (first layer: HNO3-treated P25, second layer: TiO2 bulk macroparticles of agglomerated hydrothermally synthesized TiO2 particles)-based DSSCs showed excellent properties, with the fastest electron transport time (6.8×10−4 s), slowest recombination time (8.0×10−2 s), and highest charge collection efficiency (99.1%). Compared with a 2H-based device 2H(2.69%), photoelectric conversion efficiency of 2PH(5.42%) improved about 200%.

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