title: Nanoforest Nb2O5 photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells by pulsed laser deposition.
abstract: Vertically aligned bundles of Nb(2)O(5) nanocrystals were fabricated by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and tested as a photoanode material in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). They were characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopies, optical absorption spectroscopy (UV-vis), and incident-photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) experiments. The background gas composition and the thickness of the films were varied to determine the influence of those parameters in the photoanode behavior. An optimal background pressure of oxygen during deposition was found to produce a photoanode structure that both achieves high dye loading and enhanced photoelectrochemical performance. For optimal structures, IPCE values up to 40% and APCE values around 90% were obtained with the N(3) dye and I(3)(-)/I(-) couple in acetonitrile with open circuit voltage of 0.71 V and 2.41% power conversion efficiency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, USA.
authors.forename: Rudresh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: M Kyle
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Brennaman
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uher
authors.forename: Myoung-Ryul
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Ok
authors.forename: Edward T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Samulski
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: McNeil
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Rene
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lopez