Enhanced charge transport properties of dye-sensitized solar cells using TiN xO y nanostructure composite photoanode

Chiew Keat Lim; Hui Huang; Chee Lap Chow; Pei Yun Tan; Xiaofeng Chen; Man Siu Tse; Ooi Kiang Tan

doi:10.1021/jp304387c

Enhanced charge transport properties of dye-sensitized solar cells using TiN _xO _y nanostructure composite photoanode

Chiew Keat Lim^*, Hui Huang, Chee Lap Chow, Pei Yun Tan, Xiaofeng Chen, Man Siu Tse, Ooi Kiang Tan

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In this Article, the improvement in the conversion efficiencies of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) was observed by integrating a small amount of thermally oxidized titanium nitride (TiN _xO _y) particles into the hydrothermally growth TiO ₂ nanoparticles to form the composite photoanode. The oxidation of titanium nitride (TiN) to TiN _xO _y (N-doped TiO ₂) was achieved using a simple single-step annealing process at 450 °C for 1 h. The existence of the O-Ti-N linkage in TiN _xO _y was verified using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). The DSSCs using the composite photoanode with 5 wt % of TiN _xO _y particles in TiO ₂ showed optimum conversion efficiency with a 25.6% improvement over the conventional DSSCs using only the mesoporous TiO ₂ layer as photoanode. Higher incident photon-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) values were also obtained for these composite photoanodes. This marked improvement was attributed to the combined synergetic effects of an extra absorption in the visible region and an enhanced efficiency in the electron transport. The extra absorption region at 400-500 nm for TiN _xO _y was observed using a UV-vis spectrophotometer. In addition, the reduction of charge transport resistance in the composite photoanode as verified using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has also contributed to faster electron transport through the interpenetrating oxide layer.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	16659-19664
Number of pages	3006
Journal	Journal of Physical Chemistry C
Volume	116
Issue number	37
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/jp304387c
Publication status	Published - Sept 20 2012
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
General Energy
Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
Surfaces, Coatings and Films

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title = "Enhanced charge transport properties of dye-sensitized solar cells using TiN xO y nanostructure composite photoanode",

abstract = "In this Article, the improvement in the conversion efficiencies of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) was observed by integrating a small amount of thermally oxidized titanium nitride (TiN xO y) particles into the hydrothermally growth TiO 2 nanoparticles to form the composite photoanode. The oxidation of titanium nitride (TiN) to TiN xO y (N-doped TiO 2) was achieved using a simple single-step annealing process at 450 °C for 1 h. The existence of the O-Ti-N linkage in TiN xO y was verified using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). The DSSCs using the composite photoanode with 5 wt % of TiN xO y particles in TiO 2 showed optimum conversion efficiency with a 25.6% improvement over the conventional DSSCs using only the mesoporous TiO 2 layer as photoanode. Higher incident photon-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) values were also obtained for these composite photoanodes. This marked improvement was attributed to the combined synergetic effects of an extra absorption in the visible region and an enhanced efficiency in the electron transport. The extra absorption region at 400-500 nm for TiN xO y was observed using a UV-vis spectrophotometer. In addition, the reduction of charge transport resistance in the composite photoanode as verified using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has also contributed to faster electron transport through the interpenetrating oxide layer.",

author = "Lim, {Chiew Keat} and Hui Huang and Chow, {Chee Lap} and Tan, {Pei Yun} and Xiaofeng Chen and Tse, {Man Siu} and Tan, {Ooi Kiang}",

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AU - Lim, Chiew Keat

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AU - Chow, Chee Lap

AU - Tan, Pei Yun

AU - Chen, Xiaofeng

AU - Tse, Man Siu

AU - Tan, Ooi Kiang

PY - 2012/9/20

Y1 - 2012/9/20

N2 - In this Article, the improvement in the conversion efficiencies of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) was observed by integrating a small amount of thermally oxidized titanium nitride (TiN xO y) particles into the hydrothermally growth TiO 2 nanoparticles to form the composite photoanode. The oxidation of titanium nitride (TiN) to TiN xO y (N-doped TiO 2) was achieved using a simple single-step annealing process at 450 °C for 1 h. The existence of the O-Ti-N linkage in TiN xO y was verified using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). The DSSCs using the composite photoanode with 5 wt % of TiN xO y particles in TiO 2 showed optimum conversion efficiency with a 25.6% improvement over the conventional DSSCs using only the mesoporous TiO 2 layer as photoanode. Higher incident photon-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) values were also obtained for these composite photoanodes. This marked improvement was attributed to the combined synergetic effects of an extra absorption in the visible region and an enhanced efficiency in the electron transport. The extra absorption region at 400-500 nm for TiN xO y was observed using a UV-vis spectrophotometer. In addition, the reduction of charge transport resistance in the composite photoanode as verified using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has also contributed to faster electron transport through the interpenetrating oxide layer.

AB - In this Article, the improvement in the conversion efficiencies of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) was observed by integrating a small amount of thermally oxidized titanium nitride (TiN xO y) particles into the hydrothermally growth TiO 2 nanoparticles to form the composite photoanode. The oxidation of titanium nitride (TiN) to TiN xO y (N-doped TiO 2) was achieved using a simple single-step annealing process at 450 °C for 1 h. The existence of the O-Ti-N linkage in TiN xO y was verified using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). The DSSCs using the composite photoanode with 5 wt % of TiN xO y particles in TiO 2 showed optimum conversion efficiency with a 25.6% improvement over the conventional DSSCs using only the mesoporous TiO 2 layer as photoanode. Higher incident photon-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) values were also obtained for these composite photoanodes. This marked improvement was attributed to the combined synergetic effects of an extra absorption in the visible region and an enhanced efficiency in the electron transport. The extra absorption region at 400-500 nm for TiN xO y was observed using a UV-vis spectrophotometer. In addition, the reduction of charge transport resistance in the composite photoanode as verified using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has also contributed to faster electron transport through the interpenetrating oxide layer.

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Enhanced charge transport properties of dye-sensitized solar cells using TiN _xO _y nanostructure composite photoanode

Abstract

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