二氧化钛纳米晶溶胶内渗透电极对染料敏化太阳能电池的光伏性能的提高

以自制的过氧钛酸(PTA)水溶液为前驱体,用水热法制备了透明锐钛矿相二氧化钛溶胶.无需有机添加剂可得到直径小于7 nm的棒状二氧化钛纳米晶溶胶.通过将溶胶内渗透到染料敏化太阳能电池(DSSCs)的多孔二氧化钛电极后,消除了多孔电极内的大孔并改善了电极内纳米晶之间的连通性.用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)和光学轮廓仪对溶胶内渗透后的光阳极进行了表征.结果表明:小颗粒棒状二氧化钛纳米晶附着在多孔的二氧化钛表面,填充了电极由于烧结产生的大孔,并在多孔的二氧化钛内部形成了有利于电子传输的网络结构.与未经处理的多孔电极相比,改性后的光阳极组装成染料敏化太阳能电池后光电转化效率提高了64%.     

表面修饰的TiO_2太阳能电池界面特性研究

用水热法制备了具有典型锐钛矿晶型的TiO2纳米材料,采用Cr(NO3)3对TiO2薄膜电极进行修饰改性。用X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)和光电子能谱(XPS)测试电极的物相及表面结构,结果显示TiO2薄膜表面包覆一层粒径较大的氧化铬颗粒,整个电极仍保持均匀的多孔结构。电流-电压(I-V)曲线测试结果显示,改性后最佳电极的短路电流和光电转换效率分别比改性前提高了31.1%和40.4%。用电化学阻抗谱(EIS)测试电池的界面特性,从测试结果可以看出,相同偏压下,改性后电池的TiO2/染料/电解质界面电阻更大,说明氧化铬包覆层在一定程度上抑制了界面的电子复合,改善了电池的光电输出特性。     

CdSe量子点敏化纳米二氧化钛太阳电池的电化学交流阻抗谱

量子点敏化纳米TiO2太阳电池(QDSSCs)具有诱人的发展前景,但是与传统的染料敏化太阳电池(DSSCs)相比,其目前的光电转换效率还非常低(仅为3%左右).为了寻找QDSSCs光电转换效率低的原因,本文主要采用外加偏压下的交流阻抗谱技术对通常以S2-/S-x离子对为电解质的CdSe胶体量子点敏化纳米TiO2电极的准...     

Effect of Substituents in Catechol Dye Sensitizers on Photovoltaic Performance of Type II Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

In order to provide a direction in molecular design of catechol (Cat) dyes for type II dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), the dye‐to‐TiO₂ charge‐transfer (DTCT) characteristics of Cat dyes with various substituents and their photovoltaic performance in DSSCs are investigated. The Cat dyes with electron‐donating or moderately electron‐withdrawing substituents exhibit a broad absorption band corresponding to DTCT upon binding to TiO₂ films, whereas those with strongly electron‐withdrawing substituents exhibit weak DTCT. This study indicates that the introduction of a moderately electron‐withdrawing substituent on the Cat moiety leads to not only an increase in the DTCT efficiency, but also the retardation of back electron transfer. This results in favorable conditions for the type II electron‐injection pathway from the ground state of the Cat dye to the conduction band of the TiO₂ electrode by the photoexcitation of DTCT bands.     

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.     

Fabrication of highly efficient dye-sensitized solar cell and CO2 reduction photocatalyst using TiO2 nanoparticles prepared by spin coating-assisted sol–gel method

A sol?Cgel method was applied for fabrication of nanocrystalline anatase TiO₂ thin films on ITO glass substrates and followed by rapid thermal annealing for application as the work electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). TiO₂ nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the absorption of dye on the TiO₂ electrode was shown by UV?Cvis spectroscopy. By controlling different parameters including numbers of coated layers, the gap between two electrodes, sensitization time, and light source power, TiO₂-based solar cells with high efficiency was achieved. The results show that a five time spin-coated TiO₂ electrode with applying sealant and sensitization time of 24?h in N3 dye under illumination of 100?W?cm^?2 tungsten lamp give the optimum power conversion efficiency (??) of 6.61%. The increases in thickness of TiO₂ films by increasing the numbers of coated layers can improve adsorption of the N3 dye through TiO₂ layers to increase the open-circuit voltage (V _oc). However, short-circuit photocurrents (J _sc) of DSSCs with a one-coated layer of TiO₂ films are smaller than those of DSSCs with five-coated layer of TiO₂ films. It could be due to the fact that the increased thickness of TiO₂ thin films also resulted in a decrease in the transmittance of TiO₂ thin films. Also, this electrode was employed to photoreduce CO₂ with H₂O under tungsten lamp as light source.     

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.     

Nanostructured ZrO2-Coated TiO2 Electrodes for Dye-Sensitised Solar Cells

Thin films of ZrO₂ were deposited on nanostructured anatase TiO₂ electrodes via sol-gel route and utilised in the assembly of a dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSCs) forming nanostructured core-shell networks. The ZrO₂-coated TiO₂ electrodes were characterised by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and constructing a DSSC. The characterisation concluded that core-shell morphologies were produced with varying ZrO₂ shell thickness without altering the anatase TiO₂ core. When a DSSC was constructed from the ZrO₂:TiO₂ core-shell electrode, the efficiency increased to 2.27% from 0.42% for the uncoated TiO₂ electrode. As the ZrO₂ shell thickness increased, the cell efficiency was reduced.     

Structurally Stabilized Organosilane‐Templated Thermostable Mesoporous Titania

Structurally thermostable mesoporous anatase TiO₂ (m‐TiO₂) nanoparticles, uniquely decorated with atomically dispersed SiO₂, is reported for the first time. The inorganic Si portion of the novel organosilane template, used as a mesopores‐directing agent, is found to be incorporated in the pore walls of the titania aggregates, mainly as isolated sites. This is evident by transmission electron microscopy and high‐angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy, combined with electron dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. This type of unique structure provides exceptional stability to this new material against thermal collapse of the mesoporous structure, which is reflected in its high surface area (the highest known for anatase titania), even after high‐temperature (550 °C) calcination. Control of crystallite size, pore diameter, and surface area is achieved by varying the molar ratios of the titanium precursor and the template during synthesis. These mesoporous materials retain their porosity and high surface area after template removal and further NaOH/HCl treatment to remove silica. We investigate their performance for dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with bilayer TiO₂ electrodes, which are prepared by applying a coating of m‐TiO₂ onto a commercial titania (P25) film. The high surface area of the upper mesoporous layer in the P25–m‐TiO₂ DSSC significantly increases the dye loading ability of the photoanode. The photocurrent and fill factor for the DSSC with the bilayer TiO₂ electrode are greatly improved. The large increase in photocurrent current (ca. 56 %) in the P25–m‐TiO₂ DSSC is believed to play a significant role in achieving a remarkable increase in the photovoltaic efficiency (60 %) of the device, compared to DSSCs with a monolayer of P25 as the electrode.     

Enhancing Electron Collection Efficiency and Effective Diffusion Length in Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

Intensity‐modulated photocurrent spectroscopy and intensity‐modulated photovoltage spectroscopy are employed to measure the dynamics of electron transport and recombination in the ZnO nanowire (NW) array‐ZnO/layered basic zinc acetate (LBZA) nanoparticle (NP) composite dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The roles of the vertical ZnO NWs and insulating LBZA in the electron collection and transport in DSSCs are investigated by comparing the results to those in the TiO₂–NP, horizontal TiO₂–NW and vertical ZnO–NW‐array DSSCs. The electron transport rate and electron lifetime in the ZnO NW/NP composite DSSC are superior to those in the conventional TiO₂–NP cell due to the existence of the vertical ZnO NWs and insulating LBZA. It indicates that the ZnO NW/NP composite anode is able to sustain efficient electron collection over much greater thickness than the TiO₂–NP cell does. Consequently, a larger effective electron diffusion length is available in the ZnO composite DSSC.     

Influence of light scattering particles in the TiO2 photoelectrode for solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell

A TiO₂ film was modified by adding light scattering particles and applied to an anode electrode in solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The TiO₂ films with 10 wt% (vs. TiO₂ weight) light scattering particles showed enhanced performance (28%), compared with nanocrystalline TiO₂ films, which were used as the controls. In particular, the photocurrent density (J_sc) reached approximately 12.6 mA/cm² under a one-sun condition. This was attributed to the light scattering effect and decrease in internal resistance through the macroporous structure with a minor loss of electron transport. However, in the case of a larger concentration of light scattering particles (>10 wt%), there was a decrease in the efficiency of DSSCs, which resulted from the decreased surface area and degraded electron transport and charge recombination properties, as confirmed by the measurement of stepped light-induced photocurrent and photovoltage transients. Furthermore, the diffusion properties and kinetics of the composite polymer electrolyte with the nanoporous and macroporous TiO₂ films were compared and evaluated from the electrochemical impedance spectra.     

简易合成Cu2SnSe3作染料敏化太阳能电池对电极

采用简易溶剂热法合成直径为150-250 nm的Cu2SnSe3纳米颗粒.以Cu2SnSe3"墨水"为前驱体采用滴落涂布法在掺氟二氧化锡基板上沉积Cu2SnSe3薄膜作为染料敏化太阳能电池(DSSC)对电极.利用场发射扫描电镜(FESEM)、透射电镜(TEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)、拉曼光谱(Raman)、能谱仪(EDS)等对Cu2SnSe3纳米颗粒的形貌、结构和组成进行表征.结果表明:产物纯净无杂项且符合化学计量比.以Cu2SnSe3为对电极的DSSC转化效率为7.75%,与铂对电极DSSC效率相当(7.21%).研究表明,DSSC的光电流密度和影响因子与Cu2SnSe3薄膜厚度密切相关,这是由于不同厚度的Cu2SnSe3薄膜作对电极所对应的催化位置数目和电阻值不同.电化学阻抗谱研究说明,Cu2SnSe3因具有类似铂良好的电催化性能而适合用作染料敏化太阳能电池对电极材料.本文以Cu2SnSe3代替贵金属铂,提供了一种廉价制备高效染料敏化太阳能电池对电极的新方法.     

Photoanode Based on Chain‐Shaped Anatase TiO2 Nanorods for High‐Efficiency Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

Anatase TiO₂ nanorods with large specific surface areas and high crystallinity have been synthesized by surfactant‐free hydrothermal treatment of water‐soluble peroxotitanium acid (PTA). X‐ray diffraction and TEM analysis showed that all TiO₂ nanorods derived from PTA in different hydrothermal processes were in the anatase phase, and high aspect ratio TiO₂ nanorods with chain‐shaped structures were formed at 150 °C for 24 h by oriented growth. The nanorods were fabricated as photoanodes for high‐efficiency dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). DSSCs fabricated from the chain‐shaped TiO₂ nanorods gave a highest short‐circuit current density of 14.8 mA cm^?2 and a maximum energy conversion efficiency of 7.28 %, as a result of the presence of far fewer surface defects and grain boundaries than are present in commercial P25 TiO₂ nanoparticles. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy also confirmed that DSSCs based on the TiO₂ nanorods have enhanced electron transport properties and a long electron lifetime.     

SiO2/TiO2 Hollow Nanoparticles Decorated with Ag Nanoparticles: Enhanced Visible Light Absorption and Improved Light Scattering in Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

Hollow SiO₂/TiO₂ nanoparticles decorated with Ag nanoparticles (NPs) of controlled size (Ag@HNPs) were fabricated in order to enhance visible‐light absorption and improve light scattering in dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). They exhibited localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and the LSPR effects were significantly influenced by the size of the Ag NPs. The absorption peak of the LSPR band dramatically increased with increasing Ag NP size. The LSPR of the large Ag NPs mainly increased the light absorption at short wavelengths, whereas the scattering from the SiO₂/TiO₂ HNPs improved the light absorption at long wavelengths. This enabled the working electrode to use the full solar spectrum. Furthermore, the SiO₂ layer thickness was adjusted to maximize the LSPR from the Ag NPs and avoid corrosion of the Ag NPs by the electrolyte. Importantly, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) increased from 7.1 % with purely TiO₂‐based DSSCs to 8.1 % with HNP‐based DSSCs, which is an approximately 12 % enhancement and can be attributed to greater light scattering. Furthermore, the PCEs of Ag@HNP‐based DSSCs were 11 % higher (8.1 vs. 9.0 %) than the bare‐HNP‐based DSSCs, which can be attributed to LSPR. Together, the PCE of Ag@HNP‐based DSSCs improved by a total of 27 %, from 7.1 to 9.0 %, due to these two effects. This comparative research will offer guidance in the design of multifunctional nanomaterials and the optimization of solar‐cell performance.     

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.     

Correlating Photovoltaic Performance of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell to the Film Thickness of Titania via Numerical Drift-Diffusion Simulations

The thickness of TiO₂ film is vital to realize the optimization on photovoltaic performance of dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Herein, the process of charge separation in DSSCs was simulated by using a drift-diffusion model. This model allows multiple-trapping diffusion of photo-generated electrons, as well as the back reaction with the electron acceptors in electrolyte, to be mimicked in both steady and non-steady states. Numerical results on current-voltage characteristics allow power conversion efficiency to be maximized by varying the thickness of TiO₂ film. Charge collection efficiency is shown to decrease with film thickness, whereas the flux of electron injection benefits from the film thickening. The output of photocurrent is actually impacted by the two factors. Furthermore, recombination rate constant is found to affect the optimized film thickness remarkably. Thicker TiO₂ film is suitable to the DSSCs in which back reaction is suppressed sufficiently. On the contrary, the DSSCs with the redox couple showing fast electron interception require thinner film to alleviate the charge loss via recombination. At open circuit, electron density is found to decrease with film thickness, which engenders not only the reduction of photovoltage but also the increase of electron lifetime.     

Bi2Ti2O7/TiO2复合纤维：原位水热合成及光催化性能

采用静电纺丝技术制备的TiO2纤维作为模板和反应物,通过原位水热合成了具有异质结构的Bi2Ti2O7/TiO2复合纤维。利用X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)、能量散射光谱(EDS)、高分辨透射电镜(HRTEM)和紫外可见吸收光谱(UV-Vis)等分析测试手段对样品的结构和形貌进行表征。以罗丹明B为模拟有机污染物进行光催化降解实验。结果表明:花状Bi2Ti2O7纳米结构均匀地生长在TiO2纤维上,制备了Bi2Ti2O7与TiO2相复合的光催化材料,其光谱响应范围拓宽至可见光区,与纯TiO2纤维相比可见光催化活性显著提高,且易于分离、回收和循环使用。初步探讨了Bi2Ti2O7/TiO2异质结的生长机制和光催化活性提高机理。     

Improved efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells by design of a proper double layer photoanode electrodes composed of Cr-doped TiO2 transparent and light scattering layers

A new strategy for enhancing the efficiency of TiO₂ dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) by design of a new double layer film doped with Cr ions, with various morphologies, is reported. X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) analyses revealed that the synthesized nanoparticles had uniform and nanometer grains with different phase compositions and average crystallite size in the range of 10–12 nm depending upon Cr atomic percentage. UV–vis absorption showed that Cr introduction enhanced the visible light absorption of TiO₂ nanoparticles by shifting the absorption onset to visible light region. Furthermore, the band gap energy of nanoparticles decreased with an increase in dopant concentration due to reduction of particle size. It was found that, 3 at.% Cr-doped TiO₂ DSSC in the form of a double-layer film composed of TiO₂ nanoparticles, as the under-layer, and mixtures of nano- and micro-particles with weight ratio of 80:20, as the over-layer, (i.e., CT3/NM3 solar cell) had the highest power conversion efficiency of 7.02 %, short current density of 17.32 mA/cm² and open circuit voltage of 674 mV. This can be related to achievement of a balance among the electron injection, light scattering effect and dye sensitization parameters. Optimization of light scattering effect of photoanode electrode led to improve the photovoltaic performance of CT3/NM3 double-layer solar cell and was demonstrated by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The presented strategy would open up new insight into fabrication of low-cost TiO₂ DSSCs with high power conversion efficiency.     

A photoelectrochemical biosensor using ruthenium complex-reduced graphene oxide hybrid as the photocurrent signal reporter assembled on rhombic TiO2 nanocrystals driven by visible light

An ultrasensitive photoelectrochemical (PEC) immunoassay of cancer biomarker carcinoembryonie antigen (CEA) is proposed that uses rhombic titanium dioxide nanocrystals (TiO₂ NCs) coupled with Ab2–RGO-Ru bioconjugate, which featured CEA signal antibody (Ab2) and ruthenium tris(bipyridine) (Ru complex) labels linked to reduced graphene oxide (RGO) for signal amplification. Herein, the Ru complex acts as an electron donor, while RGO serves as an electron acceptor which facilitates charge separation and suppresses recombination of photoexcited electron–hole pairs in the hybridized species. The rhombic TiO₂ NCs were fabricated through a solvothermal technique in anhydrous ethanol, followed by spin-coating process and calcination, an ITO/TiO₂ electrode was obtained. Chitosan (CS) and glutaraldehyde (GLD) were used to modify the prepared ITO/TiO₂ electrode to covalently immobilize antibodies. With a sandwich-type immunoreaction, CEA and Ab2–RGO-Ru were conjugated successively to form a sandwich-type immunocomplex. Thus, a sandwich-type PEC immunosensor was fabricated for the detection of CEA was developed by monitoring the changes in the photocurrent signals of the electrode resulting from the immunoreaction. The proposed PEC immunosensor showed high sensitivity, selectivity, excellent stability, and good reproducibility, and thus has great potential to be used for other biological assays.     

Detection of nicotine based on molecularly imprinted TiO2-modified electrodes

Amperometric detection of nicotine (NIC) was carried out on a titanium dioxide (TiO₂)/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)-modified electrode by a molecular imprinting technique. In order to improve the conductivity of the substrate, PEDOT was coated onto the sintered electrode by in situ electrochemical polymerization of the monomer. The sensing potential of the NIC-imprinted TiO₂ electrode (ITO/TiO₂[NIC]/PEDOT) in a phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution (pH 7.4) containing 0.1 M KCl was determined to be 0.88 V (vs. Ag/AgCl/saturated KCl). The linear detection range for NIC oxidation on the so-called ITO/TiO₂[NIC]/PEDOT electrode was 0-5 mM, with a sensitivity and limit of detection of 31.35 μA mM⁻¹ cm⁻² and 4.9 μM, respectively. When comparing with the performance of the non-imprinted one, the sensitivity ratio was about 1.24. The sensitivity enhancement was attributed to the increase in the electroactive area of the imprinted electrode. The at-rest stability of the ITO/TiO₂[NIC]/PEDOT electrode was tested over a period of 3 days. The current response remained about 85% of its initial value at the end of 2 days. The ITO/TiO₂[NIC]/PEDOT electrode showed reasonably good selectivity in distinguishing NIC from its major interferent, (−)-cotinine (COT). Moreover, scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) was employed to elucidate the surface morphology of the imprinted and non-imprinted electrodes using Fe(CN)₆³⁻/Fe(CN)₆⁴⁻ as a redox probe on a platinum tip. The imprinted electrode was further characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).