Dye‐Sensitized TiO2 Nanotube Solar Cells: Rational Structural and Surface Engineering on TiO2 Nanotubes

Owing to well‐defined structural parameters and enhanced electronic properties, highly ordered TiO₂ nanotube arrays have been employed to substitute TiO₂ nanoparticles for use in dye‐sensitized solar cells. To further improve the performance of dye‐sensitized TiO₂ nanotube solar cells, efforts have been directed toward the optimization of TiO₂ photoanodes, dyes, electrolytes, and counter electrodes. Herein, we highlight recent progress in rational structural and surface engineering on anodic TiO₂ nanotube arrays and their effects on improving the power conversion efficiency of dye‐sensitized TiO₂ nanotube solar cells.     

F掺杂制备具有高暴露(001)晶面的BiOCl纳米片及其光催化性能

采用溶剂热-煅烧法,通过F掺杂合成了一系列具有高暴露(001)晶面的BiOCl纳米片。应用X射线衍射、N_2物理吸附、扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜、X射线光电子能谱、紫外可见漫反射光谱、红外光谱和光电流响应等物理化学方法对合成的样品进行了表征分析。结果表明,掺杂适量的F可以促进BiOCl(110)优势晶面的生长,形成高暴露(001)晶面,同时可抑制BiOCl晶粒的长大,并增大BiOCl纳米片的比表面积和提高其表面羟基的数量。在模拟太阳光下,光催化降解偶氮染料罗丹明B结果表明,F掺杂能显著提高BiOCl对罗丹明B的光催化降解活性。其中F_(1.0)-BiOCl对罗丹明B的降解速率是BiOCl的2.67倍。此外,F_(1.0)-BiOCl对酸性橙Ⅱ的光催化降解活性是商业光催化剂P25(TiO_2)的1.24倍。F掺杂引起光催化活性大幅提升的主要原因是,高暴露(001)晶面的生成提升了BiOCl纳米片对染料的吸附性能,同时加快了光生e~-和h~+分离。     

Effect of Hydrogen on O2 Adsorption and Dissociation on a TiO2 Anatase (001) Surface

The effect of hydrogen on the adsorption and dissociation of the oxygen molecule on a TiO₂ anatase (001) surface is studied by first‐principles calculations coupled with the nudged elastic band (NEB) method. Hydrogen adatoms on the surface can increase the absolute value of the adsorption energy of the oxygen molecule. A single H adatom on an anatase (001) surface can lower dramatically the dissociation barrier of the oxygen molecule. The adsorption energy of an O₂ molecule is high enough to break the O?O bond. The system energy is lowered after dissociation. If two H adatoms are together on the surface, an oxygen molecule can be also strongly adsorbed, and the adsorption energy is high enough to break the O?O bond. However, the system energy increases after dissociation. Because dissociation of the oxygen molecule on a hydrogenated anatase (001) surface is more efficient, and the oxygen adatoms on the anatase surface can be used to oxidize other adsorbed toxic small gas molecules, hydrogenated anatase is a promising catalyst candidate.     

Adsorption of 4‐tert‐Butylpyridine on TiO2 Surface in Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

4‐tert‐Butylpyridine (4‐TBP) has been widely used as additive in dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSC), owing to its improvement of the fill factor and the open circuit voltage of DSC. In this paper, the adsorption of 4‐TBP on the rutile TiO₂(110) surface in DSC was studied by using the density functional theory at DFT/B3LYP level. By comparing the results with those attained from experiments, it was concluded that the 4‐TBP could chemiadsorb on the incompletely covered surface Ti atoms in the electrode. The probable mechanism of compressed recombination by coordinated 4‐TBP in DSC was proposed.     

Treatment of TiO2 with COOH‐Functionalized Germanium Nanoparticles to Enhance the Photocurrent of Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

A dye‐sensitized solar cell (DSSC) containing a TiO₂ film treated with COOH‐functionalized germanium nanoparticles (Ge COOH Nps) exhibited a higher short‐circuit photocurrent density (J_sc; 15.4 mA cm⁻²) compared to the corresponding untreated DSSC (13.4 mA cm⁻²) using N719 and a 12 μm thick TiO₂ film at 100 mW cm⁻². The amount of N719 attached to the treated TiO₂ film was 21 % greater than that attached to the untreated TiO₂ film. Enhancement of the J_sc value by 15 % was attributed mostly to an intramolecular charge transfer from N719 attached to the Ge COOH Nps to the TiO₂ conduction band through the Ge COOH Nps.     

Structural Control of Hierarchically‐Ordered TiO2 Films by Water for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

A facile way of controlling the structure of TiO₂ by changing the amount of water to improve the efficiency of dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is reported. Hierarchically ordered TiO₂ films with high porosity and good interconnectivity are synthesized in a well‐defined morphological confinement arising from a one‐step self‐assembly of preformed TiO₂ (pre‐TiO₂) nanocrystals and a graft copolymer, namely poly(vinyl chloride)‐g‐poly(oxyethylene methacrylate). The polymer–solvent interactions in solution, which are tuned by the amount of water, are shown to be a decisive factor in determining TiO₂ morphology and device performance. Systematic control of wall and pore size is achieved and enables the bifunctionality of excellent light scattering properties and easy electron transport through the film. These properties are characterized by reflectance spectroscopy, incident photon‐to‐electron conversion efficiency, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analyses. The TiO₂ photoanode that is prepared with a higher water ratio, [pre‐TiO₂]:[H₂O]=1:0.3, shows a larger surface area, greater light scattering, and better electron transport, which result in a high efficiency (7.7 %) DSSC with a solid polymerized ionic liquid. This efficiency is much greater than that of commercially available TiO₂ paste (4.0 %).     

Au Nanoparticles Loaded on Hollow TiO2 Microspheres with (001) Exposed Facets: a Strategy for Promoting Photocatalytic Performance

Au nanoparticles loaded TiO₂ hollow microspheres with exposed (001) facets(Au-HTFs) were synthesized through template-free hydrothermal process combined with a chemical reduction role. Au-HTFs displayed excellent photocatalytic activity in catalyzing oxidization reaction in organic pollutant system, which originates from the synergistic effect of the reactive (001) facets and Au nanoparticles with a wide range of absorption in visible region based on localized surface plasmon resonance effect. The unique synergistic effect could largely increase the photocatalytic performance resulting from the improvements of both the visible light aborption and the recombination of electron-hole pairs. Our findings revealed that among Au-HTFs with different Au loading percentages, Au-HTFs with 2%(mass fraction) Au loading possessed the superior photocatalytic activity.     

Multifunctional Conjugated Polymers with Main‐Chain Donors and Side‐Chain Acceptors for Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) and Organic Photovoltaic Cells (OPVs)

A novel multifunctional conjugated polymer (RCP‐1) composed of an electron‐donating backbone (carbazole) and an electron‐accepting side chain (cyanoacetic acid) connected through conjugated vinylene and terthiophene has been synthesized and tested as a photosensitizer in two major molecule‐based solar cells, namely dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs). Promising initial results on overall power conversion efficiencies of 4.11% and 1.04% are obtained from the basic structure of DSSCs and OPVs based on RCP‐1, respectively. The well‐defined donor (D)‐acceptor (A) structure of RCP‐1 has made it possible, for the first time, to reach over 4% of power conversion efficiency in DSSCs with an organic polymer sensitizer and good operation stability.     

锐钛矿(001)与(101)晶面在光催化反应中的作用

采用水热法制备了(001)和(101)晶面暴露的单晶锐钛矿TiO₂颗粒. 利用光还原沉积贵金属(Au, Ag, Pt)和光氧化沉积金属氧化物(PbO₂, MnO_x)的方法研究了暴露的锐钛矿(001)和(101)晶面在光催化中的作用. 通过透射电子显微镜(TEM)、扫描电子显微镜(STM)、能量色散X射线光谱仪(EDX)和X射线光电子能谱(XPS)的表征, 发现发生光还原反应生成的贵金属粒子主要沉积在暴露的锐钛矿(101)晶面上, 而发生光氧化反应产生的金属氧化物颗粒主要沉积在暴露的锐钛矿(001)晶面上. 此结果表明光激发产生的电子与空穴主要并分别分布在单晶锐钛矿TiO₂的(101)与(001)晶面上, 并在其上参与光催化还原反应和氧化反应. 同时也表明暴露的不同晶面对光生电荷具有分离效应. 基于本研究可以认为同时暴露分别进行氧化和还原反应的晶面可以有效促进光催化反应.     

Mapping of the Photoinduced Electron Traps in TiO2 by Picosecond X‐ray Absorption Spectroscopy

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is the most popular material for applications in solar‐energy conversion and photocatalysis, both of which rely on the creation, transport, and trapping of charges (holes and electrons). The nature and lifetime of electron traps at room temperature have so far not been elucidated. Herein, we use picosecond X‐ray absorption spectroscopy at the Ti K‐edge and the Ru L₃‐edge to address this issue for photoexcited bare and N719‐dye‐sensitized anatase and amorphous TiO₂ nanoparticles. Our results show that 100 ps after photoexcitation, the electrons are trapped deep in the defect‐rich surface shell in the case of anatase TiO₂, whereas they are inside the bulk in the case of amorphous TiO₂. In the case of dye‐sensitized anatase or amorphous TiO₂, the electrons are trapped at the outer surface. Only two traps were identified in all cases, with lifetimes in the range of nanoseconds to tens of nanoseconds.     

Elementary Photoelectronic Processes at a Porphyrin Dye/Single‐Walled TiO2 Nanotube Hetero‐interface in Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells: A First‐Principles Study

A unique one‐dimensional (1D) sandwich single‐walled TiO₂ nanotube (STNT) is proposed as a photoanode nanomaterial with perfect morphology and large specific surface area. We have thoroughly examined the elementary photoelectronic processes occurring at the porphyrin dye/STNT hetero‐interface in dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) by theoretical simulation. It is desirable to investigate the interfacial photoelectronic processes to elucidate the electron transfer and transport mechanism in 1D STNT‐based DSSCs. We have found that the photoexcitation and interfacial charge separation mechanism can be described as follows. A ground‐state electron of the dye molecule (localized around the electron donor) is first promoted to the excited state (distributed electron donor), and then undergoes ultrafast injection into the conduction band of the STNT, leaving a hole around the oxidized dye. Significantly, the injected electron in the conduction band is transported along the STNT by means of Ti 3d orbitals, offering a unidirectional electron pathway toward the electrode for massive collection without the observation of trap states. Our study not only provides theoretical guidelines for the modification of TiO₂ nanotubes as a photoanode material, but also opens a new perspective for the development of a novel class of TiO₂ nanotubes with high power‐generation efficiency.     

Optimization of electrospun TiO2 nanofibers photoanode film for dye‐sensitized solar cells through interfacial pre‐treatment,controllable calcination,and surface post‐treatment

Dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are generally viewed as next generation photovoltaic devices. Electrospun TiO₂ nanofibers (NFs) film can be used to construct photoanode for DSSCs. A systematic strategy to optimize such a novel photoanode material of DSSCs was elaborated in this paper. A main drawback of NFs photoanode is the poor adhesion of ceramic NFs film to its conductive glass substrate. This problem can be well solved by sandwiching a transition layer between the overlaid NFs film and the underlaid glass substrate through an interfacial spin‐coating pre‐treatment. After electrospinning, a controllable calcination is also indispensable for obtaining an ideal nanofibrous mat with good morphology and adhesion. The choice of calcination parameters including temperature, holding time, and heating rate was discussed in detail. In addition, a surface TiCl₄ post‐treatment can further improve adhesion as well as strength for the NFs photoanode film. And the performance of the resulting DSSCs will benefit from the TiCl₄ post‐treatment. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Single and Binary Dye Adsorption of Methylene Blue and Methyl Orange in Alcohol Aqueous Solution via Rice Husk Based Activated Carbon: Kinetics and Equilibrium Studies

The present work was mainly focused on the single and binary adsorption of methylene blue(MB) and methyl orange(MO) from alcohol aqueous solution over rice husk based activated carbon(RHAC). The study of single dye adsorption equilibrium experiments found that the Langmuir adsorption model was consistent with the adsorption behavior of RHAC on MB and MO, indicating that it was a single layer adsorption. The adsorption behavior conformed to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The binary dye adsorption experiments showed that the Langmuir-Freundlich model could be applied to describe the adsorption behavior of RHAC on MB and MO. Comparation with the single dye system, the adsorption capacity on the binary dye system was larger, and there was "competitive adsorption" and "synergistic adsorption" effects existed. Meanwhile, the pseudo-second-order kinetic model also fit for the binary dye adsorption behavior.     

Highly Efficient Low‐Temperature Plasma‐Assisted Modification of TiO2 Nanosheets with Exposed {001} Facets for Enhanced Visible‐Light Photocatalytic Activity

Anatase TiO₂ nanosheets with exposed {001} facets have been controllably modified under non‐thermal dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma with various working gas, including Ar, H₂, and NH₃. The obtained TiO₂ nanosheets possess a unique crystalline core/amorphous shell structure (TiO₂@TiO_2?x), which exhibit the improved visible and near‐infrared light absorption. The types of dopants (oxygen vacancy/surface Ti³⁺/substituted N) in oxygen‐deficient TiO₂ can be tuned by controlling the working gases during plasma discharge. Both surface Ti³⁺ and substituted N were doped into the lattice of TiO₂ through NH₃ plasma discharge, whereas the oxygen vacancy or Ti³⁺ (along with the oxygen vacancy) was obtained after Ar or H₂ plasma treatment. The TiO₂@TiO_2?x from NH₃ plasma with a green color shows the highest photocatalytic activity under visible‐light irradiation compared with the products from Ar plasma or H₂ plasma due to the synergistic effect of reduction and simultaneous nitridation in the NH₃ plasma.     

Theoretical study of quinolines-I(2) intermolecular interaction and implications on dye-sensitized solar cell performance

The monomer and intermolecular charge-transfer complexes of 13 different quinoline derivatives with diiodine were studied using ab initio molecular orbital (MO) and density functional theory (DFT) methods. Calculations revealed that the sigma* orbital of iodine interacts with the nitrogen lone pair in the quinoline ring. The open-circuit photovoltage (V(oc)) values of an Ru(II) complex dye-sensitized nanocrystalline TiO(2) solar cell with an I(-)/I(3) (-) redox electrolyte in acetonitrile using quinoline additives were compared to the computational calculations on the intermolecular interaction between quinolines and I(2). The optimized geometries, frequency analyses, Mulliken population analyses, natural bond orbital (NBO) analyses, and interaction energies indicate that the V(oc) value of the solar cell is higher when quinoline complexes more favorably interact with I(2). Therefore, the interaction between the quinoline additives and iodine redox electrolyte is an important factor for controlling dye-sensitized solar cell performance.     

Hydrothermal fabrication of quasi-one-dimensional single-crystalline anatase TiO2 nanostructures on FTO glass and their applications in dye-sensitized solar cells

One-dimensional and quasi-one-dimensional semiconductor nanostructures are desirable for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), since they can provide direct pathways for the rapid collection of photogenerated electrons, which could improve the photovoltaic performance of the device. Quasi-1D single-crystalline anatase TiO(2) nanostructures have been successfully prepared on transparent, conductive fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass with a growth direction of [101] through a facile hydrothermal approach. The influences of the initial titanium n-butoxide (TBT) concentration, hydrothermal reaction temperature, and time on the length of quasi-1D anatase TiO(2) nanostructures and on the photovoltaic performance of DSSCs have been investigated in detail. A power conversion efficiency of 5.81% has been obtained based on the prepared TiO(2) nanostructure photoelectrode 6.7 μm thick and commercial N719 dye, with a short-circuit current density of 13.3 mA cm(-2) , an open-circuit voltage of 810 mV, and a fill factor of 0.54.     

Adsorption and dissociation of NH3 on clean and hydroxylated TiO2 rutile (110) surfaces: a computational study

The adsorption and dissociation of NH(3) on the clean and hydroxylated TiO(2) rutile (110) surfaces have been investigated by the first-principles calculations. The monodentate adsorbates such as H(3)N-Ti(a), H(2)N-Ti(a), N-Ti(a), H(2)N-O(a), HN-O(a), N-O(a) and H-O(a), as well as the bidentate adsorbate, Ti-N-Ti(a) can be formed on the clean surface. It is found that the hydroxyl group enhances the adsorption of certain adsorbates on the five-fold-coordinated Ti atoms (5c-Ti), namely H(2)N-Ti(a), HN-Ti(a), N-Ti(a) and Ti-N-Ti(a). In addition, the adsorption energy increases as the number of hydroxyl groups increases. On the contrary, the opposite effect is found for those on the two-fold-coordinated O atoms (2c-O). The enhanced adsorption of NH(x) (x = 1-2) on the 5c-Ti is due to the large electronegativity of the OH group, increasing the acidity of the Ti center. This also contributes to diminish the adsorption of NH(x) (x = 1-2) on the two-fold-coordinated O atoms (2c-O) decreasing its basicity. According to potential energy profile, the NH(3) dissociation on the TiO(2) surface is endothermic and the hydroxyl group is found to lower the energetics of H(2)N-Ti(a)+H-O(a) and HN-Ti(a)+2{H-O(a)}, but slightly raise the energetic of Ti-N-Ti(a)+3{H-O(a)} compare to those on the clean surface. However, the dissociation of NH(3) is found to occur on the hydroxylated surface with an overall endothermic by 31.8 kcal/mol and requires a barrier of 37.5 kcal/mol. A comparison of NH(3) on anatase surface has been discussed. The detailed electronic analysis is also carried out to gain insights into the interaction nature between adsorbate and surface.