Low-Temperature Preparation of Crystalline Nanoporous TiO[sub 2] Films by Surfactant-Assisted Anodic Electrodeposition

Highly porous, fully crystalline films were prepared without high-temperature treatment by cathodic electrodeposition using the surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate as a structure-directing agent. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy show the almost exclusive presence of rutile in the films. Calcination in air leads to substantial texture changes, namely grain coarsening, the removal of micropores, and the creation of a large amount of mesopores, leading to higher efficiency of the calcined films in dye-sensitized solar cells compared to as-deposited films.