Size-controlled synthesis of anisotropic TiO2 single nanocrystals using microwave irradiation and their application for dye-sensitized solar cells

A microwave hydrothermal reaction of colloidal titanates is presented as a cost-effective synthesis to produce TiO2 single nanocrystals. The photoelectrode consisting of anisotropic nanorods and V-shaped twins has a significant advantage for achieving an appreciable incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency of 85.6% for the dye-sensitized solar cell.