Electron transport in electrospun TiO2 nanofiber dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

In this study dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) were fabricated using electrospun TiO2 nanofibers. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and open-circuit voltage decay were used to analyze electron transport in electrospun nanofibers and determine their applicability in DSCs. The polycrystalline nature and random web structure of the nanofibers exhibit effective electron diffusion coefficients close to that of high efficiency nanoparticle cells. The electron lifetime was, however, low due to the presence of a large number of surface traps despite the presence of a space-charge recombination barrier. © 2009 American Institute of Physics.