More efficient solar cells by using corn-like nanowire

Iranian researchers from Sharif University of Technology in association with researchers from Cambridge University synthesized corn-like titanium dioxide nanowires and succeeded in improving the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells through light scattering management. The structure improves the efficiency of solar cells due to its desirable properties in light scattering and also high rate of electron transference. Amir Mahmoud Bakhshayesh, M.Sc. undergraduate in materials science and engineering from Sharif University of Technology, explained about the research. “The research was carried out to improve the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells through light scattering management, electron transference, and reducing the recombination. To this end, corn-like titanium dioxide nanowires were synthesized through hydrothermal/solvothermal methods, and were used as the light scattering layer in the dye-sensitized solar cells.” According to Bakhshayesh, the morphological synthesis of corn-like TiO2 nanowires through hydrothermal / solvothermal methods was the first stage in this research. He added, “After this stage, the deposition of the nanowire as the light scattering layer was carried out on a layer of nanoparticles on fluorine tin oxide (FTO) glass. Then, the montage of the solar cell of the dye-sensitized cell was carried out in the end.” The morphology of the synthesized nanowire enjoys appropriate ability to scatter light and to transfer electron. “The synthesized nanowire contains a central nanowire. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles have grown on the surface of the central nanowire. The structure has a diameter of about 40-150 nanometers while its length is about 5-20 micrometers. The surface particles have a diameter of around 60 nanometers. Surface particles are in charge of the provision of the necessary specific area to adsorb pigment while the central nanowire is in charge of the creation of direct paths to inject electron,” Bakhshayesh concluded. Results of the research have been published on 15 February 2013 in Electrochimica Acta, vol. 90, pp. 302-308.