FABRICATION OF DYE-SENSITIZED SOLAR CELL WITH

NANOCRYSTALLINE TiO2 PREPARED FROM CRUDE TiOSO4 SOLUTION

BY MICROWAVE-ASSISTED METHOD

Phuoc-Hiep Nguyena, Tan-Phat Huynha, Thi-Thao Hoanga, Hiep-Hoa Nguyenb, Thi-Thu-

Trang Nguyenc, Van-Dzung Nguyenc, The-Vinh Nguyend*
a
Faculty of Materials Technology, dFaculty of Environment, Hochiminh City University
of Technology, Hochiminh City, Vietnam
b
Faculty of Chemistry, Hochiminh City University of Science
c
Lab for Inorganic Materials and Environmental Physico-Chemistry, Institute of Applied
Materials Science, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology

ABSTRACT

Nanocrystalline TiO2 prepared from crude TiOSO4 by the microwave-assisted method

was employed for preparation of TiO2 thin film and fabrication of a dye-sensitized solar
cell (DSSC). The derived TiO2 material was characterized by using X-ray diffraction,
Raman spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy and
nitrogen adsorption for BET specific surface area. The crystalline size and BET specific
surface area of the resulting TiO2 were measured at ca. 16 nm and 48 m2/g, respectively.
The DSSC fabricated with this nanocrystalline TiO2 thin film was found to produce an
overall conversion efficiency of ca. 2.5 % under AM 1.5. The effect of the structure of
TiO2 synthesized under different conditions on photovoltaic performance of the
corresponding DSSC was also investigated in this present work.

Key words: Dye-sensitized Solar Cells, overall conversion efficiency, nanocrystalline

TiO2, microwave-assisted method.