Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) provide a promising third-generation photovoltaic concept based on the spectral sensitization of a wide-bandgap metal oxide. Although the nanocrystalline TiO2 photoelectrode of a DSC consists of sintered nanoparticles, there are few studies on the nanoscale properties. We focus on the microscopic work function and surface photovoltage (SPV) determination of TiO...

1D semiconducting oxides are unique structures that have been widely used for photovoltaic (PV) devices due to their capability to provide a direct pathway for charge transport. In addition, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have played multifunctional roles in a range of PV cells because of their fascinating properties. Herein, the influence of CNTs on the PV performance of 1D titanium dioxide nanofiber...

Photoelectrodes enable simultaneous light absorption and catalysis of water splitting reactions. Their performance is established using electrochemical characterisation methods. Besides basic techniques such as voltammetry chronoamperometry, employed in the dark or under illumination, more advanced techniques, including (photo-)electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, intensity-modulated spectro...

At the University of Hawaii (UH), the approach to developing high-efficiency, low-cost photoelectrochemical (PEC) processes for the direct production of hydrogen has included the use of integrated electrochemical/optical models to design photoelectrodes based on multijunction thin-film technology; materials research to identify critical issues on photoelectrode efficiency and stability; and the...

Narrow-band-gap semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are considered as next-generation sensitizers for solar cells because of their extraordinary optical and electrical properties in terms of tuneable band gap, high molar extinction coefficient, and large intrinsic dipole moment, which may facilitate charge separation in solar cells. Moreover, theoretical photovoltaic conversion efficiency of QDs-s...

Evolution of pure hydrogen and oxygen by photocatalytic water splitting was attained from the opposite sides of a composite Pt/Ti/TiO₂ photoelectrode. The TiO₂ films were prepared by radio frequency (RF)-Magnetron Sputtering at different deposition time ranging from 1 up to 8 h and then characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ultraviolet-visible-near inf...

TiO2 nanoparticle (NP)/ITO nanowire (NW) nanocomposites for use as photoelectrode materials were fabricated to improve the charge collection efficiency in solid state dye sensitized solar cells (ss-DSSCs). The average current density for ss-DSSCs containing TiO2 NP/ITO NW arrays was 7.2 mA cm(-2) that was 98% higher than that for the conventional TiO2 NP ss-DSSCs. The intensity modulated photoc...

In this paper, in order to improve the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells, we introduced zirconia [ZrO2] nanofibers into a mesoporous titania [TiO2] photoelectrode. The photoelectrode consists of a few weight percent of ZrO2 nanofibers and a mesoporous TiO2 powder. The mixed ZrO2 nanofibers and the mesoporous TiO2 powder possessed a larger surface area than the corresponding mesoporous Ti...