Increasing solar light efficiency by engineering cell structures with modified Ti foil and specific concentrations of electrolyte in liquid dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract Out of several d-block elements, such as tungsten, zinc, cobalt, nickel, platinum, aluminum, and copper, titanium (Ti) has received more attention as a photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cells due to its high mechanical strength, flexibility, and good corrosion resistance towards common electrolytes. Charge transfer and electron injection efficiency can be modified by using anodizing oxidation technology (AOT) and applying different voltages on a Ti sheet, which modifies the thickness, color and surface structure of the Ti sheet. In this study, the variation in solar power efficiency was investigated by manufacturing solar devices with Ti sheets modified by AOT treatment followed by H2O2 etching. The investigated results show that the improved efficiency of the solar cell could be attributed to the robust and nanoporous structure of the surface layer on the Ti sheet, which was created by sequential AOT treatment and peroxide etching. Further studies have been performed to increase the efficiency of solar cells using N719 dye and changing the concentration of electrolyte under different light illumination. The maximum power conversion efficiency of 5.27% (JSC of 9.501 mA/cm2, VOC of 0.750 V with 0.741 FF) was observed using modified Ti foil and 0.00625 M iodine by applying a 60 V potential difference under 1 sun illumination.