Titanium dichalcogenide-decorated reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite for high-performance photovoltaic cell fabrication

This study describes the flexible DSSC devices based on efficient TiS2/Reduced Graphene Oxide (TiS2/RGO) hybrid photoanodes that have been successfully fabricated. Synthesized TiS2/RGO composite was well characterized with structural, optical, morphological, elemental, and textural analysis. X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed the crystallinity with the high purity nature of TiS2 and TiS2/RGO composites. Scanning and transmission microscopy (SEM and TEM) micrographs illustrate that spherical nanoparticles of TiS2 were consistently decorated over nano-thick RGO sheets. Particle surface area and mesopores of the synthesized TiS2/RGO nanocomposite hybrid photoanodes were measured using N2 adsorption–desorption analysis. The Synthesized pure and TiS2 and TiS2/RGO nanocomposite were coated as an electrode and were used to assemble a dye-sensitized solar cell device. The photovoltaic performance data of TiS2/RGO composite electrode shows high fill factor value, and power conversion efficiency than TiS2 nanoparticles. The results indicate that TiS2/RGO (TSG2) photoanode has a high PCE value of 8.6%, this may be due to due to the higher current density (19.8 mA/cm2). Tri-iodide reduction and conductivity of RGO is high so that the PCE of TiS2/RGO composite electrode is significantly enhanced. EIS results demonstrate that TSG2 photoanode shows smaller Rs (6.4 Ω) and high electron life time 78 ns. The improved mechanism of RGO in to TiS2 was also described in detail.