Investigation into Photoconductivity in Single CNF/TiO2-Dye Core-Shell Nanowire Devices

Abstract

A vertically aligned carbon nanofiber array coated with anatase TiO2 (CNF/TiO2) is an attractive possible replacement for the sintered TiO2 nanoparticle network in the original dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) design due to the potential for improved charge transport and reduced charge recombination. Although the reported efficiency of 1.1% in these modified DSSC s is encouraging, the limiting factors must be identified before a higher efficiency can be obtained. This work employs a single nanowire approach to investigate the charge transport in individual CNF/TiO2 core shell nanowires with adsorbed N719 dye molecules in dark and under illumination. The results shed light on the role of charge traps and dye adsorption on the (photo) conductivity of nanocrystalline TiO2 CNF s as related to dye-sensitized solar cell performance.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2010
Accession Number
ADA595997

Entities

People

  • Caitlin Rochford
  • F. J. Baca
  • Jianwei Liu
  • Judy Z. Wu
  • Jun Li
  • Zhuangzhi Li

Organizations

  • University of Kansas

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Charge Carriers
  • Chemical Vapor Deposition
  • Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
  • Electron Beam Lithography
  • Electron Density
  • Electron Microscopy
  • Electrons
  • Fermi Levels
  • Films
  • Free Electrons
  • Materials Processing
  • Materials Science
  • Nanoparticles
  • Nanotechnology
  • Semiconductors
  • Solar Cells
  • Thin Films

Fields of Study

  • Materials science

Readers

  • Nanocomposite Materials Science
  • Solar Photovoltaics and Thermoelectric Devices.
  • Thin Film Deposition Science.

Technology Areas

  • Biotechnology