The effect of amorphous TiO2 in P25 on dye-sensitized solar cell performance
- Journal:
- Chemical Communications
- Published:
- DOI:
- 10.1039/c7cc07559f
- Affiliations:
- 6
- Authors:
- 7
Research Highlight
A new order in solar cells
© carduus/Getty
Scientists
have developed an innovative technique for altering the crystalline structure
of titanium dioxide. This could lead to
better performing solar cells and new catalytic and energy storage technologies,
according to a study published in Chemical
Communications.
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles are critical components of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), where they generate an electric current by absorbing ultraviolet light. However, the most common form of TiO2, referred to as P25, contains localized regions of disordered oxygen and titanium atoms that significantly reduce the efficiency of DSCs.
Now,
an international team of scientists, including
researchers from the University of Wollongong, has developed a new technique
that uses a hydrothermal treatment to selectively remove non-crystalline regions from P25,
leading to DSCs with efficiencies 44 per cent higher than those with unmodified
particles.
The
work could lead to
better performing photocatalytic, battery and super-capacitor devices.
References
- Chem. Comm. 54, 381-384 (2017). doi: 10.1039/c7cc07559f
Institutions | Authors | Share |
---|---|---|
University of Wollongong (UOW), Australia | 0.61 | |
WPI International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), NIMS, Japan | 0.25 | |
University of Karbala (UOK), Iraq | 0.07 | |
The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia | 0.07 |