Optimized TiO2 nanoparticle packing for DSSC photovoltaic applications

Different synthesis protocols have been developed to control TiO2 anatase nanoparticle packing. The diameter of TiO2 packing aggregate varies from 13 nm to a few 100 nm. Efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) fabricated with the obtained TiO2 packing aggregate films was reported to depend on the size of the packing aggregate. It increases with the increase of the aggregate size (number of TiO2 nanoparticles) to a maximum of 4.3% and then it decreases. This effect was discussed in terms of a balance between the incident light scatterings, adsorbing amount of dye molecules, cracks free and the efficiency of electron transfer (reduction of recombination process). (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.