High-temperature anodized WO3 nanoplatelet films for photosensitive devices

Anodization at elevated temperatures in nitric acid has been used for the production of highly porous and thick tungsten trioxide nanostructured films for photosensitive device applications. The anodization process resulted in platelet crystals with thicknesses of 20-60 nm and lengths of 100-1000 nm. Maximum thicknesses of approximately 2.4 microm were obtained after 4 h of anodization at 20 V. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the as-prepared anodized samples contain predominantly hydrated tungstite phases depending on voltage, while films annealed at 400 degrees C for 4 h are predominantly orthorhombic WO3 phase. Photocurrent measurements revealed that the current density of the 2.4 microm nanostructured anodized film was 6 times larger than the nonanodized films. Dye-sensitized solar cells developed using these films produced 0.33 V and 0.65 mA/cm2 in open- and short-circuit conditions.