Preparation of the Au@TiO2 nanofibers by one-step electrospinning for the composite photoanode of dye-sensitized solar cells

The TiO2 nanofibers containing Au nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized via one-step electrospinning of TiO2 precursor, HAuCl4·3H2O, and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in DMF solution followed by pyrolysis. The amount of Au NPs in the Au@TiO2 nanofibers was varied by the concentration of HAuCl4·3H2O in the electrospinning solution. The formation of the Au@TiO2 nanofibers during the pyrolysis process was characterized by SEM, TEM, TGA, and UV/Vis. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on composite photoanode of the Au@TiO2 nanofibers and the TiO2 nanoparticles were investigated. The results indicated that the efficiency of the DSSC would be enhanced by the optimal amount of Au NPs (i.e., 0.5 wt.%) in the Au@TiO2 nanofibers.