Application of nitrogen-doped TiO2 nano-tubes in dye-sensitized solar cells

Vy Anh Tran, Trieu Thinh Troung, Thu Anh Pham Phan, Trang Ngoc Nguyen, Tuan Van Huynh, Antonia Agresti, Sara Pescetelli, Tien Khoa Le, Aldo Di Carlo, Torben Lund, So-Nhu Le, Phuong Tuyet Nguyen

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningpeer review

Abstract

Our research aimed to improve the overall energy conversion efficiency of DSCs by applying nitrogendoped
TiO2 nano-tubes (N-TNT) for the preparation of DSCs photo-anodes. The none-doped TiO2
nano-tubes (TNTs) were synthesized by alkaline hydrothermal treatment of Degussa P25 TiO2 particles
in 10 M NaOH. The nano-tubes were N-doped by reflux in various concentrations of NH4NO3. The
effects of nitrogen doping on the structure, morphology, and crystallography of N-TNT were analyzed
by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), infrared spectroscopy (IR), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray
photoelectron spectra (XPS). DSCs fabricated with doped N-TNT and TNT was characterized by J-V measurements.
Results showed that nitrogen doping significantly enhanced the efficiency of N-TNT cells,
reaching the optimum value ( = 7.36%) with 2 M nitrogen dopant, compared to = 4.75% of TNT cells.
The high efficiency of the N-TNT cells was attributed to increased current density due to the reduction of
dark current in the DSCs.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftApplied Surface Science
Vol/bind399
Sider (fra-til)515-522
Antal sider8
ISSN0169-4332
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2017

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