Micrometer-sized fluorine doped tin oxide as fast electron collector for enhanced dye-sensitized solar cells

Titanium dioxide (TiO2)-layered fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) powder was synthesized and applied as the photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). FTO powders are connected to form a direct electron pathway for the efficient extract of injected electrons, while the TiO2 layer serves as an energy barrier prohibiting the charge combination with oxidized dye or I3(-). The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analyses suggest that electrons have a longer combination lifetime (τe = 233 ms) than that of the electron in the DSSCs using traditional P25 photoanodes (τe = 28 ms). The DSSCs using 5 μm thick TiO2@FTO as photoanodes eventually give a respectable and long-term stable photovoltaic performance with a current density of 23.8 mA/cm(2), an open circuit voltage of 0.69 V, and power conversion efficiency of 7.4%. The results are received on a low dye loading level (0.25 × 10(-7) mol/cm(2)), which is (1)/10 of that for traditional photoanode (2.79 × 10(-7) mol/cm(2)).