Photovoltaic properties of ordered mesoporous silica thin film electrodes encapsulating titanium dioxide particles

SBA-15 mesoporous silica thin films encapsulating Degussa P-25 TiO2 particles were synthesized using a block copolymer templating method. The films were dip-coated onto ITO conducting glass substrates to allow for photovoltaic analysis. Structural characterization of the films was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The electrodes were placed in photovoltaic cells and irradiated with long wavelength UV (similar to 365 nm) radiation. Photovoltaic efficiencies were determined to be in the range 8.0 x 10(-4) to 0.26%. An increase in efficiency of approximately 44% was found for mesoporous silica samples encapsulating TiO2 particles over non-porous silica films containing TiO2. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.