Interface Functionalization of Photoelectrodes with Graphene for High Performance Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

The microstructures of photo‐ and counter‐electrodes play critical roles in the performance of dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In particular, various interfaces, such as fluorinated‐tin oxide (FTO)/TiO2, TiO2/TiO2, and TiO2/electrolyte, in DSSCs significantly affect the final power conversion efficiency (PCE). However, research has generally focused more on the design of various nanostructured semiconducting materials with emphasis on optimizing chemical or/and physical properties, and less on these interface functionalizations for performance improvement. This work explores a new application of graphene to modify the interface of FTO/TiO2 to suppress charge recombination. In combination with interfaces functionalization of TiO2/TiO2 for low charge‐transport resistance and high charge‐transfer rate, the final PCE of DSSC is remarkably improved from 5.80% to 8.13%, achieving the highest efficiency in comparison to reported graphene/TiO2‐based DSSCs. The method of using graphene to functionalize the surface of FTO substrate provides a better alternative method to the conventional pre‐treatment through hydrolyzing TiCl4 and an approach to reduce the adverse effect of microstructural defect of conducting glass substrate for electronic devices.