Optimized TiO2 blocking layer for dye-sensitized solar cells

A thin compact layer of TiO2 deposited on the conductive transparent substrate of a dye-sensitized solar cell photoanode, (blocking layer, BL) can enhance the performances of the entire device. In this paper, an optimized spin coating process using an alcoholic TiCl4 solution was developed and correlated to the final properties of the layer. The physicochemical characteristics of the precursor solution and the spin coating parameters were optimised to obtain a uniform layer. XRD, FE-SEM, UV-Vis spectroscopy, AFM, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were used to evaluate the influence of the number of deposition cycles on the TiO2 layer. The results were compared with those obtained using a conventional dip coating technique, showing that the newly developed spin coating process produces blocking layers with superior properties. Finally, analyses of the photovoltaic performances of the complete cell confirmed that an optimized blocking layer can lead to an improvement of the solar conversion efficiency of about 84%. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.