Hierarchical metal oxide architecture for dye-sensitized solar cells

Project Hierarchical metal oxide architecture for dye-sensitized solar cells is focused on design, preparation, characterization and optimization of bimodal thin layers of metal oxide nanostructures on conducting support with respect to their performance as a photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC). The hierarchical structures will be constituted as a composite of two different morphologies, incorporated one into another. First component, metal oxide nanofibres enabling a fast transport of electrons from the surface to the current collector will be in intimate contact with second one - either nanocrystals or mesoporous structure of the same metal oxide with large surface area adsorbing maximum of a dye sensitizer. Nanofibrous materials will be synthesized in a powder form by sol gel method, solid state synthesis and electrospinning, supported on a conducting substrate by doctor blading or screen printing and penetrated with nanoparticular or mesoporous metal oxide structure. Electrodes with optimal electrochemical and adsorption properties will be tested in final device (DSC).