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Improved performance of three-dimensional Ni–TiO2 core–shell nanowire photoanodes in dye-sensitized solar cells

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Abstract

We report a facile way to fabricate three-dimensional (3D) Ni–TiO2 core–shell nanowire arrays through anodic aluminum oxide templateassisted sol–gel TiO2 nanotube shell growth followed by Ni core using room temperature constant current electrodeposition. The 3D Ni–TiO2 nanowire-based dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) endows a 67% increase in conversion efficiency as compared with the TiO2 nanotube DSSC and maximum conversion efficiency of 5.07% was obtained by surface treating the photoanode with TiCl4, which provides enhanced light scattering and surface passivation. Indeed, this work paves the way to build reliable 3D Ni–TiO2 nanostructured photoanodes for highly efficient DSSCs.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was supported by the Louisiana Board of Regents, LEQ SF (2007-12)-ENH-PKSFI-PRS-04.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Advanced Materials Research Institute, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70148, USA

    Gayatri Sahu & Matthew A. Tarr

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  1. Gayatri Sahu
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  2. Matthew A. Tarr
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Correspondence to Matthew A. Tarr.

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For supplementary material for this article, please visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1557/mrc.2013.42

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Sahu, G., Tarr, M.A. Improved performance of three-dimensional Ni–TiO2 core–shell nanowire photoanodes in dye-sensitized solar cells. MRS Communications 3, 199–205 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1557/mrc.2013.42

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/mrc.2013.42

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