Achievement of superior efficiency of TiO2 nanorod-nanoparticle composite photoanode in dye sensitized solar cell

TiO2 based nanostructures have been widely explored as photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) because of their favourable band gap and corresponding compatibility with various sensitizers (dye molecules). Various morphologies and textures of titanium oxide have been thoroughly investigated to find the best efficiency in DSSCs. In this work, a detailed study of a nanocomposite of titanium dioxide partly derived from hydrogen titanate precursor has been reported. The current structure is realized in order to achieve optimal photogenerated charge carrier transport and reduced charge recombination. Among many combinations of the composites, the best photoanode showed power conversion efficiency (η) of 8.61% and corresponding open circuit voltage was 0.69 V and short circuit current 17.22 mA cm−2. The efficiency enhancement for the nanorod-nanoparticle composite photoanode is explained by structural, optical, and morphological properties and corroborated with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.