Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
8012839 | Materials Letters | 2018 | 13 Pages |
Abstract
S-doped TiO2 nanofibers are introduced as a novel photoanode in the DSSC. The proposed anode was fabricated by electrospinning of poly(vinyl acetate)/titanium isopropoxide sol-gel followed by calcination at 500â¯Â°C. Afterward, the obtained TiO2 nanofibers were hydrothermally treated in dimethyl sulfoxide at 180â¯Â°C for 18â¯h. SEM, TEM images revealed good morphology, and surface holes-containing nanofibers. XRD analysis emphasized on the unnecessity of excessive calcination temperature because that would convert the anatase TiO2 to the undesirable rutile phase. XPS technique concluded the presence of S atoms with an oxidation state of +6. These atoms are attached to the surface and inside the lattice of the TiO2 nanofibers. As an anode in the DSSC, the treated nanofibers showed very good performance compared to the untreated ones. Typically, 4.27% and 1.54% solar-to-electrical energy conversion was obtained from the DSSC having the treated and untreated TiO2 nanofibers, respectively.
Keywords
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Materials Science
Nanotechnology
Authors
Mohamed S. Mahmoud, M. Shaheer Akhtar, Ibrahim M.A. Mohamed, Rawan Hamdan, Yara Abu Dakka, Nasser A.M. Barakat,