Thickness-controllable textured TiO2 underlayer for a flexible dye-sensitized solar cell sub-module

Incorporating a thin underlayer as a barrier interface between nanocrystalline TiO2 and conducting substrate suppresses recombination loss in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The study investigates the effect of the thickness of the textured underlayer on the optical properties, photovoltaic performance, and electron-transporting properties. The photocurrent of the Ti foil-based photoanode exhibits a strong dependence on underlayer thickness. A homogeneous Pt counter electrode with superior catalytic ability is prepared by spraying onto a conducting plastic substrate. A flexible DSSC sub-module using Ti foil-based photoanode with an optimized thickness underlayer, and a plastic substrate counter electrode with sprayed-reduced Pt, has an energy-conversion efficiency of 7.10%.