Enhanced Charge-Collection Efficiencies and Light Scattering in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Using Oriented TiO 2 Nanotubes Arrays

We report on the microstructure and dynamics of electron transport and recombination in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) incorporating oriented TiO2 nanotube (NT) arrays. The morphology of the NT arrays, which were prepared from electrochemically anodized Ti foils, were characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopies. The arrays were found to consist of closely packed NTs, several micrometers in length, with typical wall thicknesses and intertube spacings of 8-10 nm and pore diameters of about 30 nm. The calcined material was fully crystalline with individual NTs consisting of about 30 nm sized crystallites. The transport and recombination properties of the NT and nanoparticle (NP) films…