title: Elevated temperature anodized Nb2O5: a photoanode material with exceptionally large photoconversion efficiencies.
abstract: Here, we demonstrate that niobium pentoxide (Nb(2)O(5)) is an ideal candidate for increasing the efficiencies of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The key lies in developing a Nb(2)O(5) crisscross nanoporous network, using our unique elevated temperature anodization process. For the same thicknesses of ∼4 μm, the DSSC based on the Nb(2)O(5) layer has a significantly higher efficiency (∼4.1%) when compared to that which incorporates a titanium dioxide nanotubular layer (∼2.7%). This is the highest efficiency among all of the reported photoanodes for such a thickness when utilizing back-side illumination. We ascribe this to a combination of reduced electron scattering, greater surface area, wider band gap, and higher conduction band edge, as well as longer effective electron lifetimes.
authors.affiliation: School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. j.ou@student.rmit.edu.au
authors.forename: Jian Zhen
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.forename: Rozina A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Rani
authors.forename: Moon-Ho
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Ham
authors.forename: Matthew R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Field
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Haidong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Reece
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhuiykov
authors.forename: Sharath
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sriram
authors.forename: Madhu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bhaskaran
authors.forename: Richard B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Kaner
authors.forename: Kourosh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kalantar-zadeh