Enhancing the electrical properties of dye-sensitized solar cells by carbon-free titanium gel via a non-hydrolytic method

[Display omitted] •A carbon free titanium gel was synthesized following a non-hydrolytic method, and was used as a binder for DSSCs.•A uniform thickness of TiO2 coating with ∼1.5nm was achieved by titanium gel on P-25 TiO2 nanoparticles.•A carbon free titanium gel was synthesized following a non-hydrolytic method, and was used as a binder for DSSCs.•The open-circuit voltage of DSSCs increased by about 50mV and the dark saturation current decreased by 1/6.•The power conversion efficiency of DSSCs was enhanced by using titanium gel binder. In this study, a carbon free titanium gel was synthesized following a non-hydrolytic method, and was used as a binder for the TiO2 electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The concentration of the binding anode paste was optimized by using varying levels of titanium gel (10, 13, and 16wt%) to fabricate the anode paste of DSSCs. The TiO2 layers printed on transparent conducting oxide (TCO) glass substrates had good shape-retention without an organic binder after doctor blade printing, and the amorphous titanium gel crystallized into a pure anatase form from annealing at 450°C for 1h. The SEM and HR-TEM analyses revealed a mesoporous TiO2 layer, and a uniform TiO2 coating of ∼1.5nm P-25-TiO2 nanoparticles. This coating enhanced excited electron transfer and electrical contact between particles. The open-circuit voltage of DSSCs increased by about 50mV more than that of the DSSCs with an organic-based binder. Furthermore, the dark saturation current of DSSCs fabricated with 10wt% titanium gel decreased by 1/6 than organic binder-based DSSCs. In summary, the power conversion efficiency of DSSCs fabricated with a titanium gel binder was enhanced by 15.4%, compared to that of organic binder-based DSSCs.