Electrons can be injected into TiO2
nanocrystals by a surface-adsorbed Ru-based dye in a
well-known
photosensitization process. Here we present time-resolved
microwave conductivity measurements of the decay
of electrons out of an electrically interconnected network of such
TiO2 nanocrystals, following charge injection,
and in the presence of an electron donor to the dye cation that
prevents direct recombination. The time scale
for this decay process is hundreds of milliseconds to seconds and
explains the high current collection efficiency
in devices based on these materials, since the long time scale allows
for slow charge transport through the
network.
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