Fabrication and performance of nanoporous TiO2/SnO2 electrodes with a half hollow sphere structure for dye sensitized solar cells

The incorporation of nano-crystalline semiconductors with novel kinds of ordered microstructure is a very important area of research in the field of dye sensitized solar cells. A sol–gel method involving hydrolysis of titanium isopropoxide was used to form TiO₂ nanoparticles on the surface of SiO₂ spheres. In this process, 1, 5, or 10 wt% of SnCl₂.2H₂O was added to the sol–gel solution. To prepare TiO₂/SnO₂ nanoparticles with a half hollow sphere structure, SiO₂ was removed with NaOH solution. The crystal phase, crystal shape, and surface properties of the metal oxide nanocrystals were studied by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The photovoltaic performance of the TiO₂/SnO₂ nanoparticles with half hollow sphere structures was measured. The dye sensitized solar cell using nanoporous TiO₂ as electrode materials exhibits an overall conversion efficiency of 7.36% with a light intensity of 100 mW/cm². The short circuit photocurrent (I_sc), open circuit photovoltage (V_oc), and conversion efficiency (η) of these solar cells were improved over conventional materials.