Improvement of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Through TiCl4-Treated TiO2 Nanotube Arrays

Titania nanotube arrays have been fabricated on a fluoride-doped tin oxide substrate by liquid phase deposition using ZnO nanorod arrays as a template and have been applied as the electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The performance of DSCs based on TiO2 nanotube electrodes can be improved by treating the TiO2 nanotube arrays with titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4). Both the short-circuit current density and the conversion efficiency increased almost 2 times after the TiCl4 treatment. The TiCl4 treatment not only increased the amount of absorbed dyes but also enhanced the electron transport in the TiO2 films. TiCl4-treated TiO2 nanotube arrays with 4 mu m thickness showed a short-circuit current density of 8.37 mA/cm(2), an open-circuit voltage of 0.80 V, a fill factor of 0.67, and an overall conversion efficiency (eta) of 4.53%.