Novel dye-sensitized solar cell architecture using TiO2-coated vertically aligned carbon nanofiber arrays.

A novel dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) architecture based on vertically aligned carbon nanofibers coated with a thin nanoneedle-textured anatase TiO2 film is demonstrated. An encouraging overall conversion efficiency of ∼1.09% and a rather high open-circuit voltage of ∼0.64 V have been achieved. The efficient charge separation at the TiO2−CNF junction and the large outer TiO2 surface of this core−shell architecture provide new methods to tune the materials and interfaces in solar cells.