Biotemplated hybrid TiO2 nanoparticle and TiO2-SiO2 composites for dye-sensitized solar cells

Hybrid TiO2-nanoparticle (NP)/TiO2-SiO2 (TS) composites, prepared using rice straw biotemplates were used as photoelectrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells. The hybrid TiO2-NP/TS composite showed increased dye loading due to a faster electron diffusion pathway. This could effectively improve the photoelectrode properties of this nanocomposite material, which would improve its solar conversion efficiency. TiO2-NP/TS (10 wt%) based DSSC demonstrated a τt of 1.17 ms, τr of 37.14 ms, and showed a maximum power conversion efficiency of 5.81%. Voc, Jsc, and fill factor values of TiO2-NP/TS were found to be 0.69 V, 14.01 mA cm−2, and 60.11%, respectively under AM 1.5 simulated sunlight illumination (100 mW cm−2).