Fence Constructed at a Semiconductor/Electrolyte Interface Improving the Electron Collection Efficiency of the Photoelectrode for a Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell

Charge recombination and transfer at the TiO 2 /dye/electrolyte interface play a crucial role in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Here, a fine-controlled gold nanoparticle (Au NP) via electrodeposition incorporated into a porous TiO 2 photoanode and dodecanethiol molecules as an assembled monolayer capping on Au NPs was designed and prepared. The “fence-like” structure of gold thiol molecules at the TiO 2 /dye/electrolyte interface can not only insulate the electrolyte to suppress recombination but also make full use of the plasmon-enhanced light absorption of Au NPs. The photoanodes were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV–vis absorption, and Mott–Schottky analyses. Compared to pure TiO 2, the DSSC with an interface “fence” structure achieved an efficiency (η) of 8.17%, increasing by 10.4%. The enhancement results are essentially attributed to the increase of the light-harvesting and electron collection properties, accompanying a slight promotion in the Fermi level. Furthermore, after dodecanethiol molecule treatment, the Au NPs with an intensified near-field effect also acted as electron sinks to store more electrons and exhibited a well electron-transport performance from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis.