Work

Effect of Nanoparticle Size on the Photovoltaic Performance of Sol-gel-derived TiO2 Thin-film Dye-sensitized Solar Cells

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: In this study, a TiO 2 precursor solution was synthesized by the sol-gel method, and TiO 2 nanoparticles of different sizes (5, 25, 32, and 100 nm) were added to investigate their effects on the properties of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs).Thin films were deposited onto fluorinedoped tin oxide substrates via spin coating and subsequently sintered at 600 ℃.The effects of nanoparticle size on the surface morphology, optical characteristics, and photovoltaic performance of the resulting DSSCs were systematically studied.X-ray diffraction (XRD) was employed for structural analysis, while UV-VIS-NIR spectroscopy was used to measure the optical transmittance and absorbance of the films.The surface and cross-sectional morphology, grain size, and film thickness were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).The current-voltage characteristics and conversion efficiency of the DSSCs were evaluated under simulated sunlight using a solar simulator.The experimental results revealed that smaller TiO 2 nanoparticles generally led to improved photovoltaic performance.However, the film fabricated with 5 nm nanoparticles exhibited significant surface aggregation, which adversely affected the short-circuit current density (J sc ) and conversion efficiency, compared with the film fabricated with 25 nm nanoparticles.Among all the samples, the DSSC based on 25 nm TiO 2 nanoparticles showed the best performance, featuring a uniform and smooth film morphology, J sc of 14.49 mA/cm 2 , and a conversion efficiency of 6.05%.

Source: Sensors and Materials

DOI: 10.18494/sam5778

Authors: Ming-Cheng Kao, Kai-Huang Chen, Cheng-Shu Hsiao

Institutions: Chaoyang University of Technology, Cheng Shiu University, Ling Tung University

Language: English

Topic: TiO2 Photocatalysis and Solar Cells

Subfield: Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

Field: Energy

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $748