Antireflective Photoanode Made of TiO₂ Nanobelts and a ZnO Nanowire Array

We fabricated an antireflective hybrid nanostructure using anatase TiO 2 nanobelts synthesized by an alkaline hydrothermal route and a ZnO nanowire array grown via a low-temperature solution-phase process. The replacement of TiO 2 nanoparticles with TiO 2 nanobelts improved the electron transport in the TiO 2 porous film. Importantly, rigorous coupled-wave analysis and reflectance measurements indicate that the well-designed composite of TiO 2 nanobelt−ZnO nanowire array acted as an efficient antireflection coating. The photoanode made of this hybrid nanostructure may enhance the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells by minimizing the electron−hole recombination-related and reflection-induced energy loss.