High Efficiency Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Hierarchically Structured Nanotubes

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on hierarchically structured TiO2 nanotubes prepared by a facile combination of two-step electrochemical anodization with a hydrothermal process exhibited remarkable performance. Vertically oriented, smooth TiO2 nanotube arrays fabricated by a two-step anodic oxidation were subjected to hydrothermal treatment, thereby creating advantageous roughness on the TiO2 nanotube surface (i.e., forming hierarchically structured nanotube arraysnanoscopic tubes composed of a large number of nanoparticles on the surface) that led to an increased dye loading. Subsequently, these nanotubes were exploited to produce DSSCs in a backside illumination mode, yielding a significantly high power conversion efficiency, of 7.12%, which was further increased to 7.75% upon exposure to O2 plasma.