High Conversion Efficiency of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Coral-like TiO2 Nanostructured Films: Synthesis and Physical Characterization

Coral-like TiO 2 nanostructured films were chemically synthesized through the sol–gel method for fabrication of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The influence of experimental parameters such as precursor hydrolysis rate, reaction time, type and concentration of acid, and annealing temperature was studied through analysis of the surface structure of the films. The coral-like TiO 2 film has excellent light scattering property and a mesoporous structure with fairly large specific surface area of 164 m 2 g –1 . The resulting DSSC, which consists of a dense, coral-like TiO 2 nanostructured film and the dye N719 in an electrolyte, shows a better performance as compared to a fabricated DSSC by using commonly used TiO 2 . A photocurrent value of approximately 16.1 mA cm –2, a fill factor of 77.6%, and a conversion efficiency of 9.4% were obtained. The low cost and the possibility of controlling the morphology of the prepared film make this method an interesting candidate for use in fabricating photovoltaic devices.