Plasmonic dye-sensitized solar cells incorporated with Au–TiO2 nanostructures with tailored configurations

Abstract

We developed plasmonic dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with tailor-designed Au–TiO₂ nanostructures integrated into the photoanode. Mutually antagonistic Au–TiO₂ core–shell structures supported on SiO₂ spheres (SiO₂@TiO₂@AuNP and SiO₂@AuNP@TiO₂) were prepared and incorporated as additives into the photoanodes of the DSSCs. The DSSCs employing the nanocrystalline-TiO₂ (nc-TiO₂)/SiO₂@TiO₂@AuNP and nc-TiO₂/SiO₂@AuNP@TiO₂ as photoanodes showed remarkably enhanced power conversion efficiencies up to about 14% and 10%, respectively, with respect to a reference cell containing an nc-TiO₂/SiO₂@TiO₂ photoanode. This can be mainly attributed to the enhanced dye absorption by the intensified near-field effect of AuNPs and plasmon-enhanced photocurrent generation.