Constructing hierarchical fastener-like spheres from anatase TiO2 nanosheets with exposed {001} facets for high-performance dye-sensitized solar cells

Hierarchical fastener-like spheres assembled from anatase TiO2 nanosheets with exposed (001) facets are successfully synthesized via a facile one-pot hydrothermal process. Compared with standard commercial P25, the as-obtained hierarchical fastener-like TiO2 spheres exhibit an improved light harvesting efficiency, owing to the excellent light scattering effect of layer-by-layer hierarchical structure and superior dye adsorption capacity of the dominant {001} facets. As a consequence, the photoanode composed of TiO2 fastener-like sphere scattering layer shows an improved DSSCs conversion efficiency of 7.01% compared to that of commercial P25 (5.78%). The remarkable electrochemical performances of hierarchical fastener-like TiO2 spheres indicate their promising application as scattering materials for DSSCs. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.