Theoretical study of application of multiple scattering of light to a dye-sensitized nanocrystalline photoelectrichemical cell

A new structure of dye-sensitized nanocrystalline photoelectrochemical cell, which permits effective absorption of incident solar energy using thinner dye sensitized film, is proposed based on theoretical examination. The cell effectively confines incident light in the thinner dye-sensitized film by multiple scattering from dispersed TiO2 particles at the bottom and total reflection between the inserted TiO2 film and the glass substrate at surface. Under optimal scattering conditions, the backscattered intensity is maximized when the backscattering angle is equal to the critical angle of reflection at the surface. The optical confinement is also effective for long wavelength light.