UV-Assisted Chemical Sintering of Inkjet-Printed TiO2Photoelectrodes for Low-Temperature Flexible Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

We have investigated the UV-assisted chemical (UV-Chemical) sintering of inkjet-printed TiO 2 photoelectrode films for the fabrication of low temperature flexible dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). A titanium organic compound as a chemical sintering source was introduced to an ink where TiO 2 nanoparticles were dispersed. The formulated ink was printed by inkjet to prepare TiO 2 photoelectrodes for DSSCs. The UV irradiation on the inkjet-printed photoelectrode led to the photodecomposition of the titanium organic compound at 150°C, resulting in the formation of new TiO 2 among the TiO 2 nanoparticles in the photoelectrode. The newly formed TiO 2 enhanced the connectivity among TiO 2 nanoparticles in the photoelectrode. The microstructure of TiO 2 photoelectrode was investigated both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in order to verify the effect of the UV-Chemical sintering on TiO 2 interparticle connectivity. The photovoltaic performance of DSSCs with the UV-Chemical sintered TiO 2 photoelectrodes was characterized by incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) and electrochemical impedance analysis. Based on this learning, flexible DSSC was also fabricated on the plastic substrate. This study suggests that UV-assisted chemical sintering offers a feasible opportunity to fabricate low-temperature flexible DSSC.