Optimization and Application of TiO2 Hollow Microsphere Modified Scattering Layer for the Photovoltaic Conversion Efficiency of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell

In our study, the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with double-layer thin films were fabricated. The active bottom layer of the structure was mainly made of the commercially available titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles. TiO2 hollow microspheres (THS) were doped into the TiO2 composite material and used as the scattering top layer. The THS prepared by the one-pot hydrothermal method was composed of irregularly arranged nanoparticles. Meanwhile, we also characterized the synthesized hollow TiO2 microspheres by both the scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and the X-ray diffractometer (XRD). Besides, we produced DSSCs with different weight percentages (0.5wt%, 1wt%, and 2wt%) of THS photoanodes. The DSSCs based on pure TiO2 showed the short-circuit current (J(SC)) of 8.33 mA/cm(2) and the photovoltaic conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.75%. The DSSCs manufactured using 1wt%-THS photoanode had J(SC) of 12.02 mA/cm(2) and a PCE of 5.01%. When compared with the J(SC) and PCE based on pure TiO2 DSSCs, a significant improvement in the structure was observed.