Improvement of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Through TiCl[sub 4]-Treated TiO[sub 2] Nanotube Arrays

Titania nanotube arrays have been fabricated on a fluoride-doped tin oxide substrate by liquid phase deposition using ZnO nanorod arrays as a template and have been applied as the electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The performance of DSCs based on nanotube electrodes can be improved by treating the nanotube arrays with titanium tetrachloride . Both the short-circuit current density and the conversion efficiency increased almost 2 times after the treatment. The treatment not only increased the amount of absorbed dyes but also enhanced the electron transport in the films. -treated nanotube arrays with thickness showed a short-circuit current density of , an open-circuit voltage of 0.80 V, a fill factor of 0.67, and an overall conversion efficiency of 4.53%.