Issue 23, 2013

Anatase TiO2 nanorod-decoration for highly efficient photoenergy conversion

Abstract

In recent studies of inorganic materials for energy applications, surface modification processes have been shown to be among the most effective methods to enhance the performance of devices. Here, we demonstrate a facile nano-decoration method which is generally applicable to anatase TiO2 nanostructures, as well as a nano-decorated hierarchical TiO2 nanostructure which improves the energy conversion efficiency of a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Using a facile sol–gel method, 0-D, 1-D, and 2-D type anatase TiO2 nanostructures were decorated with 200 nm long anatase TiO2 nanorods to create various hierarchical nanostructures. A structural analysis reveals that the branched nanorod has a highly crystalline anatase phase with anisotropic growth in the [001] longitudinal direction. When one of the hierarchical structures, a chestnut bur-like nanostructure, was employed in a dye-sensitized solar cell as a scattering layer, offering increased dye-loading properties, preserving a sufficient level of light-scattering ability and preserving superior charge transport and recombination properties as well, the energy conversion efficiency of the cell improved by 19% (from 7.16% to 9.09%) compared to a cell with a 0-D TiO2 sphere as a scattering layer. This generally applicable anatase nanorod-decorating method offers potential applications in various energy-conversion applications, especially in DSSCs, quantum-dot solar cells, photoelectrochemical water-splitting devices, photocatalysis, and lithium ion batteries.

Graphical abstract: Anatase TiO2 nanorod-decoration for highly efficient photoenergy conversion

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
04 Jul 2013
Accepted
09 Sep 2013
First published
16 Sep 2013

Nanoscale, 2013,5, 11725-11732

Anatase TiO2 nanorod-decoration for highly efficient photoenergy conversion

D. H. Kim, W. M. Seong, I. J. Park, E. Yoo, S. S. Shin, J. S. Kim, H. S. Jung, S. Lee and K. S. Hong, Nanoscale, 2013, 5, 11725 DOI: 10.1039/C3NR03439A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements