Sharif Digital Repository

A TiO2replica of ZnO nanosheet films is synthesized using a chemical replacement process. ZnO nanosheets are grown by electrodeposition on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) films, and a dissolution/deposition process is used to convert the ZnO template into a TiO2replica. Electron microscopy shows the final TiO2structure follows the morphology of the initial ZnO template. X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive spectroscopy verify the total transformation of ZnO to TiO2. The as-synthesized TiO2sheets are amorphous and after annealing turn into the anatase phase. The film of TiO2nanosheets is used as the photoanode of a dye sensitized solar cell. Despite the low roughness factor of 100, a... 

A simple gelating process is developed for the conventional acetonitrile-based electrolyte of dye solar cells, based on ethyl cellulose as the gelator. The electrolyte becomes quasi-solid-state upon addition of an ethanolic solution of ethyl cellulose to the conventional acetonitrile-based liquid electrolyte. The photovoltaic conversion efficiency with the new gel electrolyte is only slightly lower than with the liquid electrolyte, e.g., 6.5 % for liquid electrolyte versus 5.9 % for gel electrolyte with 5.8 wt% added ethyl cellulose. Electrolyte gelation has small effect on the ionic diffusion coefficient of iodide, and the devices are remarkably stable for at least 550 h under irradiation... 

Hollow silver microspheres are synthesized in an easy and environmentally friendly process by a sacrificial templating method. Carbonaceous microspheres (CMSs) are used as hard templates, which have been synthesized previously by a hydrothermal carbonization process. Hollow silver spheres (HSSs) are synthesized by thermal removal of the core carbon component. The thickness of shell could be controlled by the concentration of precursors. Depending on the thickness, uniform or discontinuous shells are formed. The spheres are coated with SiO 2, and then added into the electrolyte of a dye solar cell. The enhancement of 50% is achieved in short-circuit current density (JSC) due to the scattering... 

Nanoparticulated TiO 2 fibers as one-dimensional long structures were introduced into TiO 2 P25 nanoparticle films using coelectrophoretic deposition. This prevented the usual crack formation occurring in wet coatings, and resulted in less porosity and higher roughness factor of the films that provided more favorable conditions for electron transport. The films used as the photoanode of a dye solar cell (DSC) produced 65% higher photovoltaic efficiency. TiO 2 fibers can be excellent binders in single-step, organic-free electrophoretic deposition of TiO 2 for DSC photoanode