Enhancement of TiO2 nanoparticle properties and efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells using modifiers

A low-temperature hydrothermal process developed to synthesizes titania nanoparticles with controlled size. We investigate the effects of modifier substances, urea, on surface chemistry of titania (TiO2) nanopowder and its applications in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Treating the nanoparticles with a modifier solution changes its morphology, which allows the TiO2 nanoparticles to exhibit properties that differ from untreated TiO2 nanoparticles. The obtained TiO2 nanoparticle electrodes characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM/HRTEM, UV-VIS Spectroscopy and FTIR. Experimental results indicate that the effect of bulk traps and the surface states within the TiO2 nanoparticle films using modifiers enhances the efficiency in DSSCs. Under 100-mW cm(-2) simulated sunlight, the titania nanoparticles DSSC showed solar energy conversion efficiency = 4.6 %, with V-oc = 0.74 V, J(sc) = 9.7324 mA cm(-2), and fill factor = 71.35.