Plasma surface modification of TiO2 nanoparticles for Dye-Sensitized Solar cell (DSSC) application

Titanium-di-oxide (TiO₂) is a very versatile material with applications ranging from photocatalysis to pharmaceuticals. More recently TiO₂ is being investigated for potential applications in the field of renewable energy. One such application is in a new generation of solar cells called Dye-Sensitized Solar cells (DSSC), where TiO₂ nanoparticles can be used as an electrode material. The solar energy conversion efficiency of DSSC is significantly lower than that of a typical Si based photovoltaic cell, but it has a significant advantage in terms of more reduced cost per unit surface area. An atmospheric-pressure fluidized bed plasma reactor was used to modify the surface properties of TiO₂ nanoparticles. Plasma induced morphological changes of the TiO₂ nano-particles were correlated with the corresponding structural and electronic changes. DSSC with plasma treated TiO₂ nanoparticles demonstrated an improvement in photovoltaic performance.