“…It is worth noting that in practical applications photovoltaic devices such as dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) or quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) made from nanocrystalline TiO 2 film with various highly crystalline morphologies; e.g., nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanowires, nanosheets, etc., are receiving a lot of attention because such structures may improve the device performance. − Specifically, nanocrystalline anatase TiO 2 would be more desirable in DSSCs because of high photoactivity, high surface area for dye adsorption, high light harvesting efficiency, and efficient charge transport properties. − However, the less availability of synthetic techniques for single crystalline anatase TiO 2 strongly influences its application as substrate for model studies. In this regard, the rutile TiO 2 (110) with advantages including chemical stability, commercial availability, well-defined electronic structure, and easy surface cleaning serves as a model surface for fundamental research. − On the other hand, 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) has been widely used in organic electronics and also serves as a model planar organic semiconductor molecule for fundamental research. − It has been studied on a wide range of substrates focusing on morphologies, optical properties, and electronic properties. − In a recent study, we have systematically investigated the electronic structure, chemical interactions, molecular orientations, and energy level alignment at the PTCDA/rutile TiO 2 (110) interface using synchrotron-based photoemission spectroscopy (PES) and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy. It was found that PTCDA molecules adopt distinct molecular orientations within the first monolayer (ML) region: slightly tilted at 0.5 ML and disordered at 1 ML due to strong interfacial interactions between PTCDA molecules and TiO 2 (110) surface .…”