Dye-sensitized solar cells based on nanocrystalline titania electrodes made at various sintering temperatures

Dye-sensitized solar cells were made by using nanocrystalline titania deposited on Fluorine-doped SnO2 (FTO) electrodes. Nanocrystalline titania deposition was made by the sol-gel method using reverse micelles of bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate sodium salt (AOT) in cyclohexane as reaction medium. This surfactant could be easily removed from the deposited nanocomposite organic-inorganic film by simple rinsing with distilled water, without affecting titania adherence on FTO electrode. These nanocrystalline titania electrodes were used to make solar cells either without sintering or after sintering at various temperatures. Sintering extensively affected short circuit current but had small effect on device open-circuit voltage. Thus satisfactory photovoltaic response could be obtained even with devices made of non-sintered (room-temperature) titania.