Work

Enhanced Performance of TiO2 Composites for Solar Cells and Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is widely used in solar cells and photocatalysts, given its excellent photoactivity, low cost, and high structural, electronic, and optical stability. Here, a novel TiO2 composite was prepared by coating TiO2 inverse opal (IO) with TiO2 nanorods (NRs). With a porous three-dimensional network structure, the composite exhibited higher light absorption; enhanced the separation of the electron–hole pairs; deepened the infiltration of the electrolyte; better transported and collected charge carriers; and greatly improved the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the quantum-dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) based on it, while also boosting its own photocatalytic hydrogen generation efficiency. A very high PCE of 12.24% was achieved by QDSSCs utilizing CdS/CdSe sensitizer. Furthermore, the TiO2 composite exhibited high photocatalytic activity with a H2 release rate of 1080.2 μ mol h−1 g−1, several times that of bare TiO2 IO or TiO2 NRs.

Source: Nanoenergy Advances

DOI: 10.3390/nanoenergyadv5040014

Authors: Xue Bai, Jian Chen, Shengxi Du, Yan Xiong

Institution: Yangtze University

Language: English

Topic: TiO2 Photocatalysis and Solar Cells

Subfield: Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

Field: Energy

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Affordable and clean energy, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,207