Synthesis and Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Performance of Nanorods/Nanoparticles TiO2 from High Surface Area Nanosheet TiO2

Abstract

High surface area nanosheet TiO₂ with mesoporous structure were synthesized by hydrothermal method at 130 °C for 12 h. The samples characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, SAED, and BET surface area. The nanosheet structure was slightly curved and approximately 50–100 nm in width and several nanometers in thickness. The as-synthesized nanosheet TiO₂ had average pore diameter about 3–4 nm. The BET surface area and pore volume of the sample were about 642 m²/g and 0.774 cm³/g, respectively. The nanosheet structure after calcinations were changed into nanorods/nanoparticles composite with anatase TiO₂ structure at 300–500 °C (10–15 nm in rods diameter and about 5–10 nm in particles diameter). The solar energy conversion efficiency (η) of the cell using nanorods/nanoparticles TiO₂ (from the nanosheet calcined at 450 °C for 2 h) with mesoporous structure was about 7.08% with Jsc of 16.35 mA/cm², Voc of 0.703 V and ff of 0.627; while η of the cell using P-25 reached 5.82% with Jsc of 12.74 mA/cm², Voc of 0.704 V, and ff of 0.649.