Preparation of polyaniline/TiO₂ nanocomposite film with good adhesion behavior for dye‐sensitized solar cell application

In this study, novel Polyaniline (PAni)/TiO₂ nanocomposites were applied on fluoride‐doped tin oxide (FTO) glass to act as an efficient counter electrode in dye‐sensitized solar cell (DSSC) application. PAni/TiO₂ nanocomposites were synthesized via chemical oxidation process using di‐2‐ethylhexylsulfosuccinate sodium salt (NaDEHS) as dopant. The nanocomposites were characterized using fourier transform infrared and ultraviolet‐visible spectrometers. In the application of PAni as the counter electrode in the solar cell, the film showed poor adhesion on the FTO glass. Palm oil‐based alkyd was introduced into the nanocomposite mixture to improve the adhesion of the film. The findings in the work show that strong adhesion of PAni on FTO glasses has led to higher incident photon to current conversion efficiency (IPCE) in solar cell. The short circuit current (Jsc), Voc (open circuit voltage), and IPCE of the resulted PAni/TiO₂ counter electrode with good adhesion in DSSC are 15.8 mA/cm², 670 mV, and 3.0%, respectively. POLYM. COMPOS., 34:1884–1891, 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers