Improved Open-Circuit Voltage of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with LiNO3-Incorporated Titanium Dioxides

The influence of LiNO3incorporation onto TiO2electrodes on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) was studied. LiNO3-incorporated TiO2electrodes were prepared by a dip coating process and the resulting electrodes were applied to DSSCs. Open circuit voltage (Voc ) of DSSC with a LiNO3-modified TiO2layer was averagely improved by over 24% compared to that of a reference device with bare TiO2. The conduction band edge shift of TiO2to a negative direction, arising from the formation of a surface dipole, accounted for the improvement in Voc .