Journal
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
Volume 2, Issue 38, Pages 16030-16038Publisher
ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY
DOI: 10.1039/c4ta02761b
Keywords
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Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [51202139]
- Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai [12ZR1443900, 14ZR1416400]
- Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education [20123108120022]
- Special Research Foundation for Training and Selecting Outstanding Young Teachers of Universities in Shanghai [ZZSD12041]
- Innovation Foundation of Shanghai University
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Complex three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical nanostructures based on well-defined low-dimensional nanobranches of different sizes and specific exposed facets are highly desirable to obtain tunable physicochemical properties. Herein, a facile, one-step hydrothermal method is employed to construct self-branching anatase TiO2 (SBAT) 3D hierarchical nanostructures. By simply controlling the reaction time and weight ratio of F127/TBAH, SBAT nanorods can be obtained with a large percentage of exposed {010} facets. Based on X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, a growth mechanism is proposed for the formation of such self-branching 3D nanostructures, which involves the formation of the L-shaped step edges on the [103] surfaces and the alignment of the crystal facets (103) of anatase nanocrystals with the (103) face on the tips of the main anatase TiO2 nanorods. The dye-sensitized solar cell assembled with the SBAT nanorods exhibits an outstanding power conversion efficiency of 7.17%, which is superior to that of the devices based on the 1D anatase TiO2 nanorods and P25 TiO2. This high performance can be attributed to the high dye-uptake density, large size and unique self-branching 3D hierarchical nanostructures built from 1D nanobranches growing epitaxially from the main rod.
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