Study of the Applicability of TiO2/Dye Composite Particles for a Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell

This investigation designed and fabricated a working electrode with a layer of TiO2/dye composite particles on an indium–tin oxide (ITO) substrate for a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The dry particle coating technique was performed to coat the powder of the CuPc dye (copper phthalocyanine C32H16CuN8) on the surface of TiO2 powder by the Mechanofusion method. A layer of TiO2/dye composite particles was fabricated on the ITO substrate using the doctor blade technique and the working electrode was then sintered in a furnace at 165°C for 1 h. The performance of the DSSC with a layer of TiO2/dye composite particles on an ITO substrate was not inferior to that of the conventional DSSC by dipping the working electrode in the solution of dye. Furthermore, the effects of the mass ratio of TiO2 to CuPc dye and the rate of rotation of the rotating chamber in the Mechanofusion system on the short-circuit photocurrent were investigated. Most importantly, this study not only sustains the applicability of TiO2/dye composite particles to improve the performance of the DSSC, but also provides an alternate process, which can avoid the time that is needed to dip the working electrode into the solution of the dye in fabricating a conventional DSSC.