Effects of Ethyl Cellulose on Performance of Titania Photoanode for Dye-sensitized Solar Cells

Ethyl cellulose (EC) was added to a titania (TiO2) paste from 2 wt.% to 18 wt.% as a binder/dispersant, and its effects on the photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were investigated. The TiO2 mesoporous film constructed on the photoanode exhibited a dense and network structure composed of well-interconnected TiO2 nanoparticles when using a proper amount of EC (10 wt.%). Excessive and deficient addition of EC resulted in aggregation of TiO2 nanoparticles and formation of pores, respectively, in the TiO2 film. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of DSSC showed a strong dependence on the EC content and the highest PCE of 7.53% with the highest short-circuit current density (J SC) of 12.7 mA/cm2 was achieved when the content of EC was 10 wt.%. The incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) results indicated that the TiO2 mesoporous film fabricated using a proper EC addition was beneficial for electron generation (also confirmed by dye desorption experiments) and electron transport, and, therefore, improved the photovoltaic performance of DSSCs.