Effect of salt composition on photovoltaic performance of the dye-sensitized solar cells prepared from nano anatase TiO2 powder using NaCl–Na2HPO4·2H2O salt matrices

Abstract

Photovoltaic performances of dye-sensitized solar cells based on mesoporous TiO2 coating of nanocrystalline anatase prepared by solid salt synthesis were investigated in this study. Three different salt compositions pure NaCl, NaCl and DSP 50–50 wt% mixture, and pure DSP have been used as the reaction mediums. The best photovoltaic performances were obtained for the device made using the powder from DSP matrix. The dye-sensitized solar cells built from DSP and NaCl50 powders showed 13.8 and 6.5% improvements in the short-circuit current density, and 34 and 20% improvement in overall efficiency, respectively, than those of the cell made from Degussa P-25 powder. These results have been explained from the microstructural point of view of the powders. Electron microscopy, XRD, Raman, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption studies showed that the coatings made from the powders obtained via NaCl 50 and DSP salt medium treatments were of smaller sizes and contained higher densities of narrower mesoporous distribution than that obtained by the coating from NaCl and no-salt-synthesized materials.