A trilaminar
layer photoanode for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs)
was constructed using urchin-like TiO2 hierarchical microspheres
and P25. The top layer made of hierarchical microspheres enhanced
light scattering; the middle layer consisting of P25 and as-prepared
microspheres is a multifunctional layer for DSSCs, high adsorption
ability to the dye, light scattering ability, and slow recombination
rates coexistence; the bottom layer used P25. The DSSCs based on the
photoanode with tripartite-layers structure exhibited a much higher
short-circuit photocurrent density of 18.97 mA cm–2 and energy conversion efficiency of 8.80%, which indicated a 36%
increase in the conversion efficiency compared to those of the P25
electrode (14.51 mA cm–2, 6.50%). The great improvements
of photocurrent density and energy conversion efficiency for hierarchical
TiO2 microspheres were mainly attributed to a considerable
surface area, a higher light scattering ability, and slower electron
recombination rates for the former.
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