Modifying TiO2 surface architecture by oxygen plasma to increase dye sensitized solar cell efficiency

Gayathri Devi Rajmohan; Xiujuan J. Dai; Takuya Tsuzuki; Peter R. Lamb; Johan Du Plessis; Fuzhi Huang; Yi Bing Cheng

doi:10.1016/j.tsf.2013.07.072

Modifying TiO₂ surface architecture by oxygen plasma to increase dye sensitized solar cell efficiency

Gayathri Devi Rajmohan, Xiujuan J. Dai^*, Takuya Tsuzuki, Peter R. Lamb, Johan Du Plessis, Fuzhi Huang, Yi Bing Cheng

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

16 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Oxygen plasma treatment of TiO₂ films has been used to improve the efficiency of dye sensitized solar cells.Both a commercial TiO₂ sample and a TiO₂ thin film synthesized by a sol-gel technique were treated using a custom built inductively coupled plasma apparatus.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that oxygen-plasma treatment increased the number of oxygen functional groups (hydroxyl groups) and introduced some Ti ^{3 +} species on the surface of TiO₂.A sample solar cell with plasma treated TiO₂ showed an overall solar-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 4.3%, about a 13% increase over untreated TiO ₂.The photon conversion efficiency for the plasma treated TiO ₂ was 34% higher than untreated TiO₂.This enhanced cell-performance is partly due to increased dye adsorption from an increase in surface oxygen functional groups and also may be partly due to Ti^{3 +} states on the surface of TiO₂.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	521-526
Number of pages	6
Journal	Thin Solid Films
Volume	545
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2013.07.072
Publication status	Published - 31 Oct 2013
Externally published	Yes

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title = "Modifying TiO2 surface architecture by oxygen plasma to increase dye sensitized solar cell efficiency",

abstract = "Oxygen plasma treatment of TiO2 films has been used to improve the efficiency of dye sensitized solar cells.Both a commercial TiO2 sample and a TiO2 thin film synthesized by a sol-gel technique were treated using a custom built inductively coupled plasma apparatus.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that oxygen-plasma treatment increased the number of oxygen functional groups (hydroxyl groups) and introduced some Ti 3 + species on the surface of TiO2.A sample solar cell with plasma treated TiO2 showed an overall solar-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 4.3%, about a 13% increase over untreated TiO 2.The photon conversion efficiency for the plasma treated TiO 2 was 34% higher than untreated TiO2.This enhanced cell-performance is partly due to increased dye adsorption from an increase in surface oxygen functional groups and also may be partly due to Ti3 + states on the surface of TiO2.",

keywords = "Dye-sensitized solar cells, Efficiency, Oxygen plasma, Surface functionalization",

author = "Rajmohan, {Gayathri Devi} and Dai, {Xiujuan J.} and Takuya Tsuzuki and Lamb, {Peter R.} and {Du Plessis}, Johan and Fuzhi Huang and Cheng, {Yi Bing}",

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doi = "10.1016/j.tsf.2013.07.072",

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AU - Rajmohan, Gayathri Devi

AU - Dai, Xiujuan J.

AU - Tsuzuki, Takuya

AU - Lamb, Peter R.

AU - Du Plessis, Johan

AU - Huang, Fuzhi

AU - Cheng, Yi Bing

PY - 2013/10/31

Y1 - 2013/10/31

N2 - Oxygen plasma treatment of TiO2 films has been used to improve the efficiency of dye sensitized solar cells.Both a commercial TiO2 sample and a TiO2 thin film synthesized by a sol-gel technique were treated using a custom built inductively coupled plasma apparatus.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that oxygen-plasma treatment increased the number of oxygen functional groups (hydroxyl groups) and introduced some Ti 3 + species on the surface of TiO2.A sample solar cell with plasma treated TiO2 showed an overall solar-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 4.3%, about a 13% increase over untreated TiO 2.The photon conversion efficiency for the plasma treated TiO 2 was 34% higher than untreated TiO2.This enhanced cell-performance is partly due to increased dye adsorption from an increase in surface oxygen functional groups and also may be partly due to Ti3 + states on the surface of TiO2.

AB - Oxygen plasma treatment of TiO2 films has been used to improve the efficiency of dye sensitized solar cells.Both a commercial TiO2 sample and a TiO2 thin film synthesized by a sol-gel technique were treated using a custom built inductively coupled plasma apparatus.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that oxygen-plasma treatment increased the number of oxygen functional groups (hydroxyl groups) and introduced some Ti 3 + species on the surface of TiO2.A sample solar cell with plasma treated TiO2 showed an overall solar-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 4.3%, about a 13% increase over untreated TiO 2.The photon conversion efficiency for the plasma treated TiO 2 was 34% higher than untreated TiO2.This enhanced cell-performance is partly due to increased dye adsorption from an increase in surface oxygen functional groups and also may be partly due to Ti3 + states on the surface of TiO2.

KW - Dye-sensitized solar cells

KW - Efficiency

KW - Oxygen plasma

KW - Surface functionalization

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DO - 10.1016/j.tsf.2013.07.072

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VL - 545

SP - 521

EP - 526

JO - Thin Solid Films

JF - Thin Solid Films

ER -

Modifying TiO₂ surface architecture by oxygen plasma to increase dye sensitized solar cell efficiency

Abstract

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