Mesoporous electrodes having tight agglomeration of single-phase anatase TiO2 nanocrystallites: Application to dye-sensitized solar cells

Single-phase anatase nanocrystalline HyCOM-TiO2 (Hydrothermal Crystallization in Organic Media) to label this method was synthesized by high-temperature hydrolysis of titanium tetrabutoxide in toluene. The resulting HyCOM-TiO2 nanocrystallites were found to be covered by n-butoxide, yielding mesoporous, transparent anatase films with a narrow pore size distribution and good electron transport characteristic when sintered at 350–550°C on optically transparent conducting glass. Dye-sensitized solar cells made of the Ru-dye-adsorbed mesoporous HyCOM films as photoanodes achieved better photo-energy conversion efficiency as compared to those prepared using commercially available Degussa P25 films.