Abstract
Surface modification of porous TiO 2 photoanode with a thin compact TiO 2 layer was carried out by means of anodic electrodeposition in an aqueous TiCl 3 electrolyte. Results indicated that the electrodeposited thin TiO 2 layer could bridge gaps between TiO 2 nanoparticles and improve the electrical contact at the FTO (fluoride-doped tin oxide)/TiO 2 interface, leading to an efficient electron transport. In addition, the thin compact TiO 2 layer could cover the exposed surface area of FTO to the electrolyte, which contributes to the suppression of the charge recombination. The surface treatment of mesoporous TiO 2 photoanode via aqueous electrochemical route is an effective way to improve the performance of DSSC (dye-sensitized solar cell), which could increase the short-circuit current density, and reduce the dark current density compared to DSSCs with bare and TiCl 4 -treated TiO 2 photoanodes. The photoelectron conversion efficiency of DSSC was increased from 7.3 to 8.2% after employing the TiO 2 -modified photoanode. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.