Organic-free Anatase TiO₂ Paste for Efficient Plastic Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells and Low Temperature Processed Perovskite Solar Cells

Recently, the synthesis of fine TiO2 paste with organic-free binder emerged as an indispensable technique for plastic photovoltaics due to the low temperature processing requirement. In this study, pure anatase TiO2 nanoparticles and organic-free TiO2-sol were successfully synthesized individually in organic-free solution. By mixing the pure anatase TiO2 with the newly developed TiO2-sol binder, mechanically robust and well-interconnected TiO2 films were prepared via UV-irradiation at low temperature for applications in plastic dye-sensitized solar cells (p-DSSCs). The structural, electrical, and photovoltaic properties of the films as well as the devices were investigated by various techniques. The dye-loading amount of the obtained film is 2.6 times that of the P25 electrodes. As revealed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results, the film derived from the as-prepared anatase TiO2 paste (A-TiO2) exhibits much smaller charge transport resistance and lower electron recombination rate than the P25 film, while the introduction of TiO2-sol into the paste can further remarkably decrease the resistance of the produced film (AS-TiO2). The p-DSSCs employing AS-TiO2 photoanode yield a high efficiency up to 7.51%, which is 86% higher than the P25 reference cells and also 31% higher than the A-TiO2 cell. As a proof of concept, the newly developed AS-TiO2 paste was also applied to low temperature processed perovskite solar cells (PSCs), and a promising high efficiency up to 9.95% was achieved.