Enhancement of Dye Adsorption on TiO₂ Surface through Hydroxylation Process for Dye-sensitized Solar Cells

Enhancement of Dye Adsorption on TiO₂ Surface through Hydroxylation Process for Dye-sensitized Solar Cells

To enhance the power conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), the surface of titanium dioxide ($TiO_2$) photoelectrode was modified by hydroxylation treatment with $NH_4OH$ solution at $70^{\circ}C$ for 6 h. The $NH_4OH$ solutions of various concentrations were used to introduce the hydroxyl groups on $TiO_2$ surface. As the concentration of $NH_4OH$ was increased, the short-circuit current density ($J_{SC}$) value and conversion efficiency of solar cells were increased because the amount of adsorbed dye molecules on $TiO_2$ surface was increased. As a result of the surface modification to introduce hydroxyl groups, the concentration of adsorbed dye on the $TiO_2$ surface could be improved up to 32.61% without the changes of morphology, surface area and pore volume of particles. The morphology, the specific surface area, the pore volume and the chemical states of $TiO_2$ surface were characterized by using FE-SEM, $N_2$ adsorption-desorption isotherms and XPS measurements. The amount of adsorbed dye and the performance of fabricated cells were analyzed by using UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy and solar simulator.