Reduced graphene oxide-titanium dioxide compact layer prepared via electrodeposition for enhanced performance of dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) as one of the third generation of solar cells have gained great attention due to their inexpensive, easy to fabricate and environmental friendliness. In this study, a reduced graphene oxide-titanium dioxide (rGO-TiO2) compact layer (CL) was prepared by one-step electrodeposition. The presence of the rGO-TiO2 CL had successfully suppressed the dark current and shifted its onset potential to a higher forward bias, indicating a good blocking ability. The photoanode with the rGO-TiO2 CL displayed an improved power conversion efficiency by 96.60% compared to other photoanodes. The incorporation of the rGO-TiO2 CL also increased the electron lifetime and charge collection efficiency compared to the bare TiO2 photoanode. These results demonstrated that rGO-TiO2 CL is a promising material for the enhancement of DSSC performance.