The Role of the Fabrication of Anatase-TiO2 Chain-Networked Photoanodes

A novel, sandwich-layered Ti/TiO2/Ti/fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) architecture is reported. The Ti layers play a critical role in the formation of long pear-necklace chains made of interconnected TiO2 nanoparticles. The chains interpenetrate a network structure on FTO glass substrates under alkaline hydrothermal-processing conditions. A significant enhancement in the photocurrent density of dye-sensitized solar cells employing non-volatile polymer-based electrolytes is obtained.