Titanium wire engineering and its effect on the performance of coil type cylindrical dye sensitized solar cells

Abstract This paper reports a comparative study of the photovoltaic characteristics of titanium (Ti) metal wires with different diameter and surface treatments towards their utilization as photoanodes for coil-based dye-sensitized solar cells. The surface property of the Ti wire, especially oxidized overlayer and surface treatments have been found to greatly influence the adhesion as well as optimum electrical contact between coated nanoporous titanium oxide (TiO2) and Ti-wires. Implication of adhesion of nanoporous TiO2 on the titanium wire and its influence on photovoltaic performance was analyzed using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Results of X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy reveals the formation of anatase TiO2 nanosheets after the H2O2 surface treatment on the titanium wire resulting into enhancement in the extent of dye loading leading to enhanced photoconversion efficiency of 4.71% under simulated solar irradiation.