Processes of Titanium-Dioxide Colloids for Working Electrodes of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

New titanium-dioxide (TiO2) colloids composed of nano-crystalline TiO2 and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) have been developed for use in the working electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The surface morphology and electrical characteristics of the TiO2 colloid electrodes were studied. The analysis of the surface morphology of the TiO2 colloids was conducted by an atomic force microscope (AFM) and a field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). The photovoltaic characteristics of the TiO2 colloids with different compositions were investigated. The TiO2 content of the colloids determined the photovoltaic conversion ability of DSSCs. Colorful colloids were implemented by adding pigments to the TiO2 colloids. The processes of the TiO2 colloids demonstrated the advantages of simple fabrication and low cost. The flexible property of the TiO2 colloids showed great potential for application in flexible optoelectronics.