Triton Facilitated Spherical TiO<sub>2</sub> Nanoparticles and Their Advantage in a Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell

Abstract

Spherical TiO 2 particles (60 nm) were obtained by using a Triton X-100. The surfactant was employed in two stages, i.e., in the hydrolysis of TiCl 4 and then in the precipitation of the corresponding Ti (IV) polymers. The advantages of such spherical TiO 2 particles were examined in terms of photovoltaic characteristics of a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) using Orange IV dye as sensitizer. Significantly higher overall solar energy conversion efficiency was obtained for a DSSC using the film of these spherical TiO 2 particles, compared with that of a cell using a TiO 2 film prepared without surfactant.

Tuning the porosity and surface characteristics of nanoporous titania using non-ionic surfactant reverse micelles

“…The peak at 1626 cm −1 corresponds to adsorbed water, whereas the sharp peak at 1391 cm −1 can be attributed to Ti–OH vibrations. 47 The broad peak spanning the area 850–400 cm −1 in the FTIR spectra ( Fig. 5 ), which corresponds to vibrations in the TiO 2 lattice, is of particular interest.…”