A doubly co-axial photoanode architecture based on templated SiO2 aerogels was fabricated on transparent conducting oxides for use in dye-sensitized solar cells. These templates were coated with ZnO then with TiO2 via atomic layer deposition to yield an electronically interconnected, high surface area, semiconductor framework. Electron transport in SiO2-ZnO-TiO2 photoelectrodes was found to be two orders of magnitude faster than in SiO2-TiO2 structures, implying that the interior ZnO sheath serves as the primary electron conduit. In contrast, rates of electron interception by the oxidized form of the redox shuttle were observed to decrease when a TiO2 shell was added to SiO2-ZnO, with the decreases becoming more significant as the thickness of the titania shell increases. These effects lead to improvements in efficiency for DSSCs that utilize I-/I-3, but much larger improvements for DSSCs utilizing ferrocene/ferrocenium, a notoriously fast redox shuttle. For the former, overall energy conversion efficiencies maximize at 4.0%.

Fast transporting ZnO-TiO<sub>2</sub> coaxial photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells based on ALD-modified SiO<sub>2</sub> aerogel frameworks

245th National Meeting (2013)

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Fast transporting ZnO-TiO2 coaxial photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells based on ALD-modified SiO2 aerogel frameworks

Fast transporting ZnO-TiO₂ coaxial photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells based on ALD-modified SiO₂ aerogel frameworks