Dye-sensitized solar cells based on TiO2-B nanobelt/TiO2 nanoparticle sandwich-type photoelectrodes with controllable nanobelt length

The TiO(2)-B nanobelt (NB)/TiO(2) nanoparticle (NP) sandwich-type structure photoelectrode, with controllable nanobelt length, has been used to fabricate high-efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), which combine the advantages of the rapid electron transport in TiO(2)-B NBs and the high surface area of TiO(2) NPs. The results indicate that the sandwich-type photoelectrode achieves higher photoelectrical conversion efficiency when compared with the TiO(2) nanoparticulate electrode. Increasing the length of TiO(2)-B NBs has been demonstrated to improve the photoelectric conversion efficiency (η). DSSCs with the longest (10 μm) TiO(2)-B NBs yield the highest η of 7.94%. The interfacial electron transport of DSSCs with different lengths of TiO(2)-B NBs has been quantitatively investigated using the photovoltage transient and the electrochemical impedance spectra, which demonstrates that the DSSCs with longest TiO(2)-B NBs display the highest electron collection efficiency and the fastest interfacial electron transfer.     

TiO2/Au纳米棒阵列的制备及其光催化性能

采用电沉积和旋转涂膜相结合的方法成功制备了高度有序的TiO2/Au纳米棒阵列催化剂.扫描电镜和透射电镜结果表明,TiO2薄膜均匀地包覆在Au纳米棒的表面,形成核壳型的一维阵列结构.X射线衍射分析表明所获得TiO2为(101)晶面优先生长的锐钛矿晶相.紫外-可见漫反射光谱显示,由于Au和TiO2间肖特基结的存在造成吸收红...     

Kinetics of electron recombination of dye-sensitized solar cells based on TiO2 nanorod arrays sensitized with different dyes

The performance and electron recombination kinetics of dye-sensitized solar cells based on TiO(2) films consisting of one-dimensional nanorod arrays (NR-DSSCs) which are sensitized with dyes N719, C218 and D205, respectively, have been studied. It has been found that the best efficiency is obtained with the dye C218 based NR-DSSCs, benefiting from a 40% higher short-circuit photocurrent density. However, the open circuit photovoltage of the N719 based cell is 40 mV higher than that of the organic dye C218 and D205 based devices. Investigation of the electron recombination kinetics of the NR-DSSCs has revealed that the effective electron lifetime, τ(n), of the different dye based NR-DSSCs shows the sequence of C218 > D205 > N719. The higher V(oc) with the N719 based NR-DSSC is originated from the more negative energy level of the conduction band of the TiO(2) film. In addition, in comparison to the DSSCs with the conventional nanocrystalline particles based TiO(2) films, the NR-DSSCs have shown over two orders of magnitude higher τ(n) when employing N719 as the sensitizer. Nevertheless, the τ(n) of the DSSCs with the C218 based nanorod arrays is only ten-fold higher than that of the nanoparticles based devices. The remarkable characteristic of the dye C218 in suppressing the electron recombination of DSSCs is discussed.     

Hydrothermal Synthesis of a Crystalline Rutile TiO2 Nanorod Based Network for Efficient Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

One‐dimensional (1D) TiO₂ nanostructures are desirable as photoanodes in dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) due to their superior electron‐transport capability. However, making use of the DSSC performance of 1D rutile TiO₂ photoanodes remains challenging, mainly due to the small surface area and consequently low dye loading. Herein, a new type of photoanode with a three‐dimensional (3D) rutile‐nanorod‐based network structure directly grown on fluorine‐doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates was developed by using a facile two‐step hydrothermal process. The resultant photoanode possesses oriented rutile nanorod arrays for fast electron transport as the bottom layer and radially packed rutile head‐caps with an improved large surface area for efficient dye adsorption. The diffuse reflectance spectra showed that with the radially packed top layer, the light‐harvesting efficiency was increased due to an enhanced light‐scattering effect. A combination of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), dark current, and open‐circuit voltage decay (OCVD) analyses confirmed that the electron‐recombiantion rate was reduced on formation of the nanorod‐based 3D network for fast electron transport. As a resut, a light‐to‐electricity conversion efficiency of 6.31 % was achieved with this photoanode in DSSCs, which is comparable to the best DSSC efficiencies that have been reported to date for 1D rutile TiO₂.     

Rutile TiO2 nano-branched arrays on FTO for dye-sensitized solar cells

Hierarchical TiO(2) nanostructures would be desirable for preparing dye-sensitized solar cells because of their large amount of dye adsorption and superior light harvesting efficiency, as well as efficient charge separation and transport properties. In this study, rutile TiO(2) nano-branched arrays grown directly on transparent conductive glass (FTO) were prepared by a facile two-step wet chemical synthesis process, using a simple aqueous chemical growth method involving immersing the TiO(2) nanorod arrays in an aqueous TiCl(4) solution as seeds, which were prepared by a hydrothermal method. The dye-sensitized solar cells based on the TiO(2) nano-branched arrays which were only about 3 μm in length show a short-circuit current intensity of 10.05 mA cm(-2) and a light-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 3.75%, which is nearly three times as high as that of bare nanorod arrays, due to the preferable nanostructure, which not only retains the efficient charge separation and transport properties of the nanorod arrays, but also can improve the amount of dye adsorption due to the increased specific surface area from the nanobranches.     

Morphology evolution of ZnO thin films from aqueous solutions and their application to solar cells

This paper reports a reproducible low-temperature solution-based process for the preparation of ZnO films of nanorod arrays and their application to dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). A two-step approach was employed for the epitaxial growth of ZnO. We began with the preparation of a (002)-oriented ZnO seed layer by the electrochemical deposition method. After the treatment the substrate was soaked in an aqueous solution containing ZnCl2 and complex agents. A large-scale fabrication of ZnO nanorod arrays on transparent conductive oxides has been achieved after soaking at 95 degrees C for 1-48 h. The as-deposited ZnO film has a large surface area, therefore permitting a great amount of dye loading. The individually separated nanorod forms a linear nanoroad which should show more effective electron transportation than that in the film derived from ZnO powders. The DSSCs using these ZnO films as photoelectrodes show a conversion efficiency of about 0.6% at AM1.5.     

Heteroepitaxial growth of ZnO branches selectively on TiO2 nanorod tips with improved light harvesting performance

A seeded heteroepitaxial growth of ZnO nanorods selectively on TiO(2) nanorod tips was achieved by restricting crystal growth on highly hydrophobic TiO(2) nanorod film surfaces. Intriguing light harvesting performance and efficient charge transport efficiency has been found, which suggest potential applications in photovoltaics and optoelectronics.     

Efficiency improvement of flexible dye-sensitized solar cells by introducing mesoporous TiO2 microsphere

Mesoporous TiO2microsphere(MTM)was synthesized via a simple solution route and then mixed with commercial TiO2(P25)to form highly homogeneous and stable TiO2colloid by simple hydrothermal treatment.The TiO2colloid was coated onto the plastic conductive substrate to prepare mesoporous TiO2film for flexible dye-sensitized solar cells(DSSCs)by low-temperature heat treatment.The influence of MTM content on the physicochemical properties of the flexible TiO2film was characterized by scanning electron microscope,transmission electron microscopy,X-ray diffraction,energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer,N2adsorption-desorption isotherms,UV–vis absorption and diffuse reflectance spectra.It is revealed that with increasing the MTM content,the dye-loading capability of TiO2film and light-harvesting efficiency of flexible DSSCs are improved due to MTM having high surface area and acting as a light scattering center,respectively,resulting in the enhancement of photocurrent of flexible DSSCs.However,more and larger cracks having negative effect on the performances of flexible DSSCs are formed simultaneously.Under the optimal condition with MTM content of 20%,a flexible DSSC with overall light-to-electric energy conversion efficiency of 2.74%is achieved under a simulated solar light irradiation of 100 mW cm 2(AM 1.5),with 26%improvement in comparison with DSSCs based on P25 alone.     

电化学制备异质二氧化钛结构增强其在光电分解水中转化效率（英文）

本文描述了一种利用电化学方法合成第二型异质二氧化钛纳米棒结构的方法,这种纳米棒由部分还原的黑色二氧化钛和原始的白色二氧化钛组成.这种异质结结构的半还原的二氧化钛纳米棒与原始的白色二氧化钛和完全还原的黑色二氧化钛纳米棒相比,展现出更好的光电催化性能.这可归结于这种条件下合成的纳米棒具备的协同作用.一方面,这类结构增强了整个太阳光光谱的利用率.底层的黑色二氧化钛能够大量吸收可见光,而上层的白色二氧化钛能够较好的利用太阳光中紫外光的部分.另一方面,因为形成了第二型异质结结构,电荷的激发分离和传输得到了有效的控制.这种简单的制备方法可进一步拓展合成其他金属氧化物,来进一步研究光电分解水的性能.本文利用传统的三电极系统:0.05 mol/L的硫酸作为电解液,在加–0.5 V的偏压下进行.相比与已报道的还原手段,该电解液中质子的浓度相对比较低,可以保证这个还原过程逐步发生.电化学还原曲线可以明显反映二氧化钛还原的过程,尽管从扫描电子显微镜中很难观察到响应的区别,但是在该过程中,电极片的颜色发生了明显的变化.相应的,我们将这个系列的电极进行了光学和晶体学的研究,发现其在还原过程中,能带能够逐步减小.而在X射线衍测试当中,仅最终完全还原的得到的样品在20度左右出现两个额外的峰,可归结为还原状态的二氧化钛.电化学扫描进一步测试其能带的相应位置,证明了黑色被还原的二氧化钛和白色的原始二氧化钛是同时存在的.最后将这个系列光电极光电催化分解水的性能进行了比较,发现在同等的测试条件下,形成异质结结构的二氧化钛具有最高的光催化效率,其值大约是白色二氧化钛的三倍,同时也比纯黑的二氧化钛增长了20%左右.另外,异质结结构的二氧化钛与黑色的相比,在可见光区域有相同的效率的同时具备更好的紫外光转化效率.最后,我们分析了异质结形成以后的相对应的能带结构,该结构能够更好的促进光吸收和转化.     

Charge transport versus recombination in dye-sensitized solar cells employing nanocrystalline TiO2 and SnO2 films

We report a comparison of charge transport and recombination dynamics in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) employing nanocrystalline TiO(2) and SnO(2) films and address the impact of these dynamics upon photovoltaic device efficiency. Transient photovoltage studies of electron transport in the metal oxide film are correlated with transient absorption studies of electron recombination with both oxidized sensitizer dyes and the redox couple. For all three processes, the dynamics are observed to be 2-3 orders of magnitude faster for the SnO(2) electrode. The origins of these faster dynamics are addressed by studies correlating the electron recombination dynamics to dye cations with chronoamperometric studies of film electron density. These studies indicate that the faster recombination dynamics for the SnO(2) electrodes result both from a 100-fold higher electron diffusion constant at matched electron densities, consistent with a lower trap density for this metal oxide relative to TiO(2), and from a 300 mV positive shift of the SnO(2) conduction band/trap states density of states relative to TiO(2). The faster recombination to the redox couple results in an increased dark current for DSSCs employing SnO(2) films, limiting the device open-circuit voltage. The faster recombination dynamics to the dye cation result in a significant reduction in the efficiency of regeneration of the dye ground state by the redox couple, as confirmed by transient absorption studies of this reaction, and in a loss of device short-circuit current and fill factor. The importance of this loss pathway was confirmed by nonideal diode equation analyses of device current-voltage data. The addition of MgO blocking layers is shown to be effective at reducing recombination losses to the redox electrolyte but is found to be unable to retard recombination dynamics to the dye cation sufficiently to allow efficient dye regeneration without resulting in concomitant losses of electron injection efficiency. We conclude that such a large acceleration of electron dynamics within the metal oxide films of DSSCs may in general be detrimental to device efficiency due to the limited rate of dye regeneration by the redox couple and discuss the implications of this conclusion for strategies to optimize device performance.     

种子层对TiO2纳米棒阵列取向生长及界面态的影响

利用水热法制备了金红石相的单晶TiO2纳米棒阵列, 利用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、Ｘ射线衍射仪(XRD)、紫外可见分光光度计(UV-Vis)以及表面光电压谱仪(SPS)研究了其形貌、结构以及光电性质. 通过不同生长基底对比实验发现F掺杂SnO2导电玻璃基底和种子层对纳米棒阵列的生长起决定作用, TiO2种子层与SnO2:F基底晶格匹配, 有利于晶体外延生长, 使TiO2纳米棒阵列的取向性更强. 根据场调制表面光电压测量结果, 金红石相的TiO2与基底界面处的能带向上弯曲, 在FTO/TiO2界面存在大量界面态, 这些界面态可能成为光生载流子的复合中心. 实验结果表明引入种子层不仅有利于TiO2纳米棒的取向生长, 而且极大地减少界面态, 有望提高电荷的收集效率.     

电泳法制备具有{001}面TiO2纳米片分级球散射层的染敏太阳电池光电极

利用简便的溶剂热法,制得了由锐钛矿相的纳米片组成的、{001}面接近100%暴露的TiO2分级球形结构。利用电泳沉积法,将所得的TiO2分级球形结构作为散射层引入到染料敏化太阳电池(DSSC)中,并很好地保护了这种脆弱的分级结构。由于这种分级球形结构比TiO2纳米颗粒具有更好的染料吸附性能和光散射性能,使用这种TiO2分级球形结构作为散射层的DSSC达到了7.38%的光电转换效率,较之基于TiO2纳米颗粒的DSSC有了26%的提高。     

Influence of surface-attachment functionality on the aggregation, persistence, and electron-transfer reactivity of chalcogenorhodamine dyes on TiO2

Chalcogenorhodamine dyes bearing phosphonic acids and carboxylic acids were compared as sensitizers of nanocrystalline TiO(2) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The dyes were constructed around a 3,6-bis(dimethylamino)chalcogenoxanthylium core and varied in the 9 substituent: 5-carboxythien-2-yl in dyes 1-E (E = O, Se), 4-carboxyphenyl in dyes 2-E (E = O, S), 5-phosphonothien-2-yl in dyes 3-E (E = O, Se), and 4-phosphonophenyl in dyes 4-E (E = O, Se). All dyes adsorbed to TiO(2) as mixtures of H aggregates and monomers, which exhibited broadened absorption spectra relative to those of purely amorphous monolayers. Surface coverages of dyes and the extent of H aggregation varied minimally with the surface-attachment functionality, the structure of the 9-aryl group, and the identity of the chalcogen heteroatom. Carboxylic acid-functionalized dyes 1-E and 2-E desorbed rapidly and completely from TiO(2) into acidified CH(3)CN, but phosphonic acid-functionalized dyes 3-E and 4-E persisted on TiO(2) for days. Short-circuit photocurrent action spectra of DSSCs corresponded closely to the absorptance spectra of dye-functionalized films; thus, H aggregation did not decrease the electron-injection yield or charge-collection efficiency. Maximum monochromatic incident photon-to-current efficiencies (IPCEs) of DSSCs ranged from 53 to 95% and were slightly higher for carboxylic acid-functionalized dyes 1-E and 2-E. Power-conversion efficiencies of DSSCs under white-light illumination were low (<1%), suggesting that dye regeneration was inefficient at high light intensities. The photoelectrochemical performance (under monochromatic or white-light illumination) of 1-E and 2-E decayed significantly within 20-80 min of the assembly of DSSCs, primarily because of the desorption of the dyes. In contrast, the performance of phosphonic acid-functionalized dyes remained stable or improved slightly on similar timescales. Thus, replacing carboxylic acids with phosphonic acids increased the inertness of chalcogenorhodamine-TiO(2) interfaces without greatly impacting the aggregation of dyes or the interfacial electron-transfer reactivity.     

染料敏化太阳能电池中具有不同电子给体的吩噻嗪类有机光敏染科的理论研究

采用密度泛函理论和含时密度泛函理论方法计算了2个吩噻嗪类染料及其吸附到TiO2上后分子的基态和激发态光物理性质与热力学参数.结果表明,电子给体的改变虽未明显改变染料的光谱性质(垂直跃迁能和振子强度),但可以改变分子的前线轨道能级,进而影响染料分子的激子结合能Eb及激发态电子注入到半导体TiO2中的驱动力△Gint的大小...     

新型梳状共聚物在准固态染料敏化太阳能电池中的应用及其对电子复合的影响

合成了乙烯基咪唑碘盐(VImI)和聚乙二醇单甲醚甲基丙烯酸酯(PEGMA)的梳状共聚物.利用VImI/PEGMA共聚物制备了准固态聚合物电解质.通过光电流密度-电压(J-V)曲线和电导率测定以及电化学阻抗分析,探讨了基于此电解质的染料敏化太阳能电池的电荷传输与界面电子转移机制.结果表明,VImI/PEGMA共聚物可以有效抑制TiO2/电解质界面电子复合并提高TiO2导带能级,敏化电池的光伏性能并不完全取决于电解质的电导率.通过考察共聚物中VImI与PEGMA单元的摩尔比与开路电压的关系,发现共聚物对电子复合的抑制作用主要源于VImI链段.此外,开路电压衰减(OCVD)和瞬态光电流测试结果说明,共聚物能够提高TiO2薄膜的电子寿命,而且对陷阱电子能级的分布具有调节作用.当共聚物在电解质中的质量分数为50%,VImI与PEGMA的摩尔比为5.0时,准固态染料敏化太阳能电池于100mW·cm-2光强下获得了4.10%的光电转换效率.     

TiO2纳米片/巢状分级结构纳米阵列薄膜的制备及其在染料敏化太阳能电池中的应用

采用水热合成法在氟掺杂二氧化锡(FTO)导电玻璃基底上得到TiO2纳米阵列薄膜,并进一步通过NaOH溶液水热处理制备了由巢状纳米阵列及纳米片覆盖层构成的TiO2纳米阵列分级结构一体化薄膜.采用场发射扫描电镜(FE-SEM),X射线衍射(XRD),紫外-可见(UV-Vis)漫反射光谱和吸收光谱技术对TiO2薄膜的结构和性质进行表征.FE-SEM结果表明:分级结构TiO2薄膜膜厚为1.5μm,薄膜由一层纳米片覆盖层(约0.2μm高)和一层巢状纳米阵列层(约1.3μm高)组成.XRD谱图表明TiO2薄膜为锐钛矿相.UV-Vis光谱显示分级结构TiO2薄膜具有较强的光捕获能力和染料吸附能力.TiO2纳米片/巢状分级结构纳米阵列薄膜作为光阳极,可有效地提高染料敏化太阳能电池的光电转换效率,其短路电流(Jsc)为7.79mA·cm-2,开路电压(Voc)为0.80V,填充因子(FF)为0.40,光电转换效率(η)为2.48%,其光电转换效率较TiO2纳米阵列薄膜提高了近10倍.     

P3HT修饰一维有序壳核式CdS/ZnO纳米棒阵列复合膜的光电化学性能

采用电化学方法在铟锡氧化物(ITO)导电玻璃上制备了高度有序的ZnO纳米棒阵列, 在ZnO纳米棒阵列上先后电化学沉积CdS纳米晶膜及聚3-己基噻吩(P3HT)薄膜得到P3HT修饰的一维有序壳核式CdS/ZnO纳米阵列结构, 并通过扫描电镜(SEM)、透射电镜(TEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)、能量散射X射线(EDX)等表征手段证实了该结构的形成. 以此纳米结构薄膜为光阳极组装新型半导体敏化太阳电池, 研究了CdS纳米晶膜的厚度和P3HT薄膜的沉积对电池光伏性能的影响, 初步探讨了电荷在电池结构中的传输机理, 结果表明, CdS纳米晶膜和P3HT薄膜的沉积有效地拓宽了光阳极的光吸收范围, 实验中电池的光电转换效率最高达到1.08%.     

Low-bandgap donor-acceptor conjugated polymer sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells

A set of two donor-acceptor type conjugated polymers with carboxylic acid side groups have been synthesized and utilized as active materials for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The polymers feature a π-conjugated backbone consisting of an electron-poor 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (BTD, acceptor) unit, alternating with either a thiophene-fluorene-thiophene triad (2a) or a terthiophene (3a) segment as the donor. The donor-acceptor polymers absorb broadly throughout the visible region, with terthiophene-BTD polymer 3a exhibiting an absorption onset at approximately 625 nm corresponding to a ～1.9 eV bandgap. The polymers adsorb onto the surface of nanostructured TiO(2) due to interaction of the polar carboxylic acid units with the metal oxide surface. The resulting films absorb visible light strongly, and their spectra approximately mirror the polymers' solution absorption. Interestingly, a series of samples of 3a with different molecular weight (M(n)) adsorb to TiO(2) to an extent that varies inversely with M(n). DSSCs that utilize the donor-acceptor polymers as sensitizers were tested using an I(-)/I(3)(-) electrolyte. Importantly, for the set of polymer sensitizers 3a with varying M(n), the DSSC efficiency varies inversely with M(n), a result that reflects the difference in adsorption efficiency observed in the film absorption experiments. The best DSSC cell tested is based on a sample of 3a with M(n) ～ 4000, and it exhibits a ～65% peak IPCE with J(sc) ～12.6 mA cm(-2) under AM1.5 illumination and an overall power conversion efficiency of ～3%.     

Enhanced photovoltaic characterization and charge transport of TIO2 nanoparticles/nanotubes composite photoanode based on indigo carmine dye-sensitized solar cells

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have established themselves as an alternative to conventional solar cells owing to their remarkably high power conversion efficiency, longtime stability and low-cost production. DSSCs composed of a dyed oxide semiconductor photoanode, a redox electrolyte and a counter electrode. In these devices, conversion efficiency is achieved by ultra-fast injection of an electron from a photo excited dye into the conduction band of metal oxide followed by subsequent dye regeneration and holes transportation to the counter electrode. The energy conversion efficiency of DSSC is to be dependent on the morphology and structure of the dye adsorbed metal oxide photoanode. Worldwide considerable efforts of DSSCs have been invested in morphology control of photoanode film, synthesis of stable optical sensitizers and improved ionic conductivity electrolytes. In the present investigation, a new composite nano structured photoanodes were prepared using TiO₂ nano tubes (TNTs) with TiO₂ nano particles (TNPs). TNPs were synthesized by sol–gel method and TNTs were prepared through an alkali hydrothermal transformation. Working photoanodes were prepared using five pastes of TNTs concentrations of 0, 10, 50, 90, and 100 % with TNPs. The DSSCs were fabricated using Indigo carmine dye as photo sensitizer and PMII (1-propyl-3-methylimmidazolium iodide) ionic liquid as electrolyte. The counter electrode was prepared using Copper sulfide. The structure and morphology of TNPs and TNTs were characterized by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopes (TEM and SEM). The photocurrent efficiency is measured using a solar simulator (100 mW/cm²). The prepared composite TNTs/TNPs photoanode could significantly improve the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells owing to its synergic effects, i.e. effective dye adsorption mainly originated from TiO₂ nanoparticles and rapid electron transport in one-dimensional TiO₂ nanotubes. The results of the present investigation suggested that the DSSC based on 10 % TNTs/TNPs showed better photovoltaic performance than cell made pure TiO₂ nanoparticles. The highest energy-conversion efficiency of 2.80 % is achieved by composite TNTs (10 %)/TNPs film, which is 68 % higher than that pure TNPs film and far larger than that formed by bare TNTs film (94 %). The charge transport and charge recombination behaviors of DSSCs were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectra and the results showed that composite TNTs/TNPs film-based cell possessed the lowest transfer resistances and the longest electron lifetime. Hence, it could be concluded that the composite TNTs/TNPs photoanodes facilitate the charge transport and enhancing the efficiencies of DSSCs.     

Surface-treated TiO2 nanoparticles for dye-sensitized solar cells with remarkably enhanced performance

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were prepared by capitalizing on mesoporous P-25 TiO(2) nanoparticle film sensitized with N719 dyes. Subjecting TiO(2) nanoparticle films to TiCl(4) treatment, the device performance was improved. More importantly, O(2) plasma processing of TiO(2) film that was not previously TiCl(4)-treated resulted in a lower efficiency; by contrast, subsequent O(2) plasma exposure after TiCl(4) treatment markedly enhanced the power conversion efficiency, PCE, of DSSCs. Remarkably, with TiCl(4) and O(2) plasma treatments dye-sensitized TiO(2) nanoparticle solar cells produced with 21 μm thick TiO(2) film illuminated under 100 mW/cm(2) exhibited a PCE as high as 8.35%, twice of untreated cells of 3.86%.