Enhanced photovoltaic characterization and charge transport of TIO₂ nanoparticles/nanotubes composite photoanode based on indigo carmine dye-sensitized solar cells

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have established themselves as an alternative to conventional solar cells owing to their remarkably high power conversion efficiency, longtime stability and low-cost production. DSSCs composed of a dyed oxide semiconductor photoanode, a redox electrolyte and a counter electrode. In these devices, conversion efficiency is achieved by ultra-fast injection of an electron from a photo excited dye into the conduction band of metal oxide followed by subsequent dye regeneration and holes transportation to the counter electrode. The energy conversion efficiency of DSSC is to be dependent on the morphology and structure of the dye adsorbed metal oxide photoanode. Worldwide considerable efforts of DSSCs have been invested in morphology control of photoanode film, synthesis of stable optical sensitizers and improved ionic conductivity electrolytes. In the present investigation, a new composite nano structured photoanodes were prepared using TiO₂ nano tubes (TNTs) with TiO₂ nano particles (TNPs). TNPs were synthesized by sol–gel method and TNTs were prepared through an alkali hydrothermal transformation. Working photoanodes were prepared using five pastes of TNTs concentrations of 0, 10, 50, 90, and 100 % with TNPs. The DSSCs were fabricated using Indigo carmine dye as photo sensitizer and PMII (1-propyl-3-methylimmidazolium iodide) ionic liquid as electrolyte. The counter electrode was prepared using Copper sulfide. The structure and morphology of TNPs and TNTs were characterized by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopes (TEM and SEM). The photocurrent efficiency is measured using a solar simulator (100 mW/cm²). The prepared composite TNTs/TNPs photoanode could significantly improve the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells owing to its synergic effects, i.e. effective dye adsorption mainly originated from TiO₂ nanoparticles and rapid electron transport in one-dimensional TiO₂ nanotubes. The results of the present investigation suggested that the DSSC based on 10 % TNTs/TNPs showed better photovoltaic performance than cell made pure TiO₂ nanoparticles. The highest energy-conversion efficiency of 2.80 % is achieved by composite TNTs (10 %)/TNPs film, which is 68 % higher than that pure TNPs film and far larger than that formed by bare TNTs film (94 %). The charge transport and charge recombination behaviors of DSSCs were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectra and the results showed that composite TNTs/TNPs film-based cell possessed the lowest transfer resistances and the longest electron lifetime. Hence, it could be concluded that the composite TNTs/TNPs photoanodes facilitate the charge transport and enhancing the efficiencies of DSSCs.