title: Hierarchical TiO2 photoanode for dye-sensitized solar cells.
abstract: Hierarchical or one-dimensional architectures are among the most exciting developments in material science these recent years. We present a nanostructured TiO(2) assembly combining these two concepts and resembling a forest composed of individual, high aspect-ratio, treelike nanostructures. We propose to use these structures for the photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cells, and we achieved 4.9% conversion efficiency in combination with C101 dye. We demonstrate this morphology beneficial to hamper the electron recombination and also mass transport control in the mesopores when solvent-free ionic liquid electrolyte is used.
authors.affiliation: Institut des Sciences et Ingenieurie Chimiques, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sauvage
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Fonzo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Li Bassi
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Casari
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Divitini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ducati
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Bottani
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Comte
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Graetzel