title: Performance optimization of dye-sensitized solar cells by multilayer gradient scattering architecture of TiO2microspheres.
abstract: TiO2microspheres (TMSs) with unique hierarchical structure and unusual high specific surface area are synthesized and incorporated into a photoanode in various TMS multilayer gradient architectures to form novel photoanodes and dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Significant influences of these architectures on the photoelectric properties of DSSCs are obtained. The DSSC with the optimal TMS gradient-ascent architecture of M036 has the largest amounts of dye absorption, strongest light absorption, longest electron lifetime and lowest electron recombination, and thus exhibits the maximum short circuit current density (Jsc) of 16.49 mA cm-2and photoelectric conversion efficiency (η) of 7.01%, notably higher than those of conventional DSSCs by 21% and 22%, respectively. These notable improvements in the properties of DSSCs can be attributed to the TMS gradient-ascent architecture of M036 which can most effectively increase dye absorption and localize incident light within the photoanode by the light scattering of TMSs, and thus utilize the incident light thoroughly. This study provides an optimized and universal configuration for the scattering microspheres incorporated in the hybrid photoanode, which can significantly improve the performance of DSSCs.
authors.affiliation: School of Physics and Technology, and the Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro/Nano Structures of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Mingyue
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Meiya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiaolian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lihua
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Mengdai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luoshan
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yongdan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xingzhong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao