title: Dye-sensitized solar cells employing a SnO2-TiO2 core-shell structure made by atomic layer deposition.
abstract: This paper describes the synthesis and characterization of core-shell structures, based on SnO2 and TiO2, for use in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC). Atomic layer deposition is employed to control and vary the thickness of the TiO2 shell. Increasing the TiO2 shell thickness to 2 nm improved the device performance of liquid electrolyte-based DSC from 0.7% to 3.5%. The increase in efficiency originates from a higher open-circuit potential and a higher short-circuit current, as well as from an improvement in the electron lifetime. SnO2-TiO2 core-shell DSC devices retain their photovoltage in darkness for longer than 500 seconds, demonstrating that the electrons are contained in the core material. Finally core-shell structures were used for solid-state DSC applications using the hole transporting material 2,2',7,7',-tetrakis(N, N-di-p-methoxyphenyl-amine)-9,9',-spirofluorene. Similar improvements in device performance were obtained for solid-state DSC devices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Ångström Laboratory Uppsala University Box 523, 751 20 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karlsson
authors.forename: Indrek
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jõgi
authors.forename: Susanna K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.forename: Håkan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rensmo
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boman
authors.forename: Gerrit
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boschloo
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hagfeldt
mesh_terms: D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D004566:Electrodes; D005449:Fluorenes / Q000737:chemistry; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012993:Solar Energy; D013141:Spiro Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D017971:Tin Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D005449:Fluorenes; D013141:Spiro Compounds; D017971:Tin Compounds; C009495:titanium dioxide; D014025:Titanium; C045358:stannic oxide