Won-Yeop Rho

Recent progress in dye-sensitized solar cells for improving efficiency: TiO 2 nanotube arrays in active layer

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have been widely studied due to several advantages, such as low cost-to-performance ratio, low cost of fabrication, functionality at wide angles and low intensities of incident light, mechanical robustness, and low weight. This paper summarizes the recent progress in DSSC technology for improving efficiency, focusing on the active layer in the photoanode, with a part of the DSSC consisting of dyes and a TiO2 film layer. In particular, this review highlights a huge pool of studies that report improvements in the efficiency of DSSCs using TiO2 nanotubes, which exhibit better electron transport. Finally, this paper suggests opportunities for future research.

Ag Nanoparticle–Functionalized Open-Ended Freestanding TiO2 Nanotube Arrays with a Scattering Layer for Improved Energy Conversion Efficiency in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated using open-ended freestanding TiO2 nanotube arrays functionalized with Ag nanoparticles (NPs) in the channel to create a plasmonic effect, and then coated with large TiO2 NPs to create a scattering effect in order to improve energy conversion efficiency. Compared to closed-ended freestanding TiO2 nanotube array–based DSSCs without Ag or large TiO2 NPs, the energy conversion efficiency of closed-ended DSSCs improved by 9.21% (actual efficiency, from 5.86% to 6.40%) with Ag NPs, 6.48% (actual efficiency, from 5.86% to 6.24%) with TiO2 NPs, and 14.50% (actual efficiency, from 5.86% to 6.71%) with both Ag NPs and TiO2 NPs. By introducing Ag NPs and/or large TiO2 NPs to open-ended freestanding TiO2 nanotube array–based DSSCs, the energy conversion efficiency was improved by 9.15% (actual efficiency, from 6.12% to 6.68%) with Ag NPs and 8.17% (actual efficiency, from 6.12% to 6.62%) with TiO2 NPs, and by 15.20% (actual efficiency, from 6.12% to 7.05%) with both Ag NPs and TiO2 NPs. Moreover, compared to closed-ended freestanding TiO2 nanotube arrays, the energy conversion efficiency of open-ended freestanding TiO2 nanotube arrays increased from 6.71% to 7.05%. We demonstrate that each component—Ag NPs, TiO2 NPs, and open-ended freestanding TiO2 nanotube arrays—enhanced the energy conversion efficiency, and the use of a combination of all components in DSSCs resulted in the highest energy conversion efficiency.

Carbon-doped freestanding TiO2 nanotube arrays in dye-sensitized solar cells

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated with both closed- and open-ended freestanding TiO2 nanotube arrays that were doped with carbon via chemical vapor deposition to improve their electron transport properties. The energy conversion efficiencies of DSSCs increased from 5.07% to 6.21% after doping with a small amount of carbon, i.e., an enhancement of 22.4%. This suggests that the π–π conjugation introduced by carbon doping improved the efficiency of electron transport. However, energy conversion efficiencies of DSSCs with a large amount of carbon doping on the TiO2 nanotube arrays decreased from 5.07% to 2.87%, with a lower short-circuit current, open circuit voltage, and fill factor because of the reduced level of dye adsorption on the TiO2 nanotube arrays.

Glucose detection using 4-mercaptophenyl boronic acid-incorporated silver nanoparticles-embedded silica-coated graphene oxide as a SERS substrate

In this work, 4-mercaptophenyl boronic acid (4-MPBA) was self-assembled on the surface of silver nanoparticle-embedded silica-coated graphene oxide (GO@SiO2@Ag NPs@MPBA) to detect glucose by surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The SERS intensity of 4-MPBA on the GO@SiO2@Ag NPs was 2.2-fold greater than that of GO@Ag NPs. Moreover, silica-coated GO exhibited lower background signals compared to GO. The SERS intensity of GO@SiO2@Ag NPs@MPBA peaked at 1 mM 4-MPBA. pH-dependent behavior of 4-MPBA on the GO@SiO2 @Ag NPs was investigated; the highest SERS signal intensity was detected at pH 3. The binding of glucose to 4-MPBA-incorporated GO@SiO2@Ag NPs increased the SERS signals at both 1,072 and 1,588 cm-1. The linear range was estimated from 2 to 20 mM glucose. These results provide insight into detection of glucose and the development of SERS-based biosensors using graphene oxide.

Preparation of plasmonic magnetic nanoparticles and their light scattering properties

Fe3O4@SiO2@Au nanoparticles (NPs) that have plasmonic and magnetic properties were prepared by simple immobilization method of Au NPs to silica coated magnetic NPs. The Fe3O4@SiO2@Au exhibit 5 times higher light scattering compared to the same sized gold NPs. The experimental results were supported by the simulations.

Wrinkled silica/titania nanoparticles with tunable interwrinkle distances for efficient utilization of photons in dye-sensitized solar cells.

Efficient light harvesting is essential for the realization of high energy conversion efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). State-of-the-art mesoporous TiO2 photoanodes fall short for collection of long-wavelength visible light photons, and thus there have been efforts on introduction of scattering nanoparticles. Herein, we report the synthesis of wrinkled silica/titania nanoparticles with tunable interwrinkle distances as scattering materials for enhanced light harvesting in DSCs. These particles with more than 20 times larger specific surface area (>400 m2/g) compared to the spherical scattering particles (<20 m2/g) of the similar sizes gave rise to the dye-loading amounts, causing significant improvements in photocurrent density and efficiency. Moreover, dependence of spectral scattering properties of wrinkled particles on interwrinkle distances, which was originated from difference in overall refractive indices, was observed.

Multi-Shaped Ag Nanoparticles in the Plasmonic Layer of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells for Increased Power Conversion Efficiency

The use of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is widespread owing to their high power conversion efficiency (PCE) and low cost of manufacturing. We prepared multi-shaped Ag nanoparticles (NPs) and introduced them into DSSCs to further enhance their PCE. The maximum absorption wavelength of the multi-shaped Ag NPs is 420 nm, including the shoulder with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 121 nm. This is a broad absorption wavelength compared to spherical Ag NPs, which have a maximum absorption wavelength of 400 nm without the shoulder of 61 nm FWHM. Therefore, when multi-shaped Ag NPs with a broader plasmon-enhanced absorption were coated on a mesoporous TiO2 layer on a layer-by-layer structure in DSSCs, the PCE increased from 8.44% to 10.22%, equivalent to an improvement of 21.09% compared to DSSCs without a plasmonic layer. To confirm the plasmon-enhanced effect on the composite film structure in DSSCs, the PCE of DSSCs based on the composite film structure with multi-shaped Ag NPs increased from 8.58% to 10.34%, equivalent to an improvement of 20.51% compared to DSSCs without a plasmonic layer. This concept can be applied to perovskite solar cells, hybrid solar cells, and other solar cells devices.

Dye-sensitized solar cells with silica-coated quantum dot-embedded nanoparticles used as a light-harvesting layer

A dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) was fabricated using silica-coated quantum dot-embedded silica nanoparticles (SiO2/QD/SiO2 NPs) as a light-harvesting layer. Compared to an unmodified DSSC, the power conversion efficiency of a DSSC with SiO2/QD/SiO2 NPs (SiO2/QD/SiO2 DSSC) increased from 3.92% to 4.82%, an enhancement of approximately 23.0%.

SERS-Based Flavonoid Detection Using Ethylenediamine-β-Cyclodextrin as a Capturing Ligand

Ethylenediamine-modified β-cyclodextrin (Et-β-CD) was immobilized on aggregated silver nanoparticle (NP)-embedded silica NPs (SiO2@Ag@Et-β-CD NPs) for the effective detection of flavonoids. Silica NPs were used as the template for embedding silver NPs to create hot spots and enhance surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signals. Et-β-CD was immobilized on Ag NPs to capture flavonoids via host-guest inclusion complex formation, as indicated by enhanced ultraviolet absorption spectra. The resulting SiO2@Ag@Et-β-CD NPs were used as the SERS substrate for detecting flavonoids, such as hesperetin, naringenin, quercetin, and luteolin. In particular, luteolin was detected more strongly in the linear range 10−7 to 10−3 M than various organic molecules, namely ethylene glycol, β-estradiol, isopropyl alcohol, naphthalene, and toluene. In addition, the SERS signal for luteolin captured by the SiO2@Ag@Et-β-CD NPs remained even after repeated washing. These results indicated that the SiO2@Ag@Et-β-CD NPs can be used as a rapid, sensitive, and selective sensor for flavonoids.

Enhanced Efficiency in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells by Electron Transport and Light Scattering on Freestanding TiO2 Nanotube Arrays

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated with closed- or open-ended freestanding TiO2 nanotube arrays as photoelectrodes that were decorated with carbon materials and large TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) to enhance energy conversion efficiency. The energy conversion efficiency of DSSCs based on open-ended freestanding TiO2 nanotube arrays increased from 4.47% to 5.39%, compared to the DSSCs based on closed-ended freestanding TiO2 nanotube arrays. In DSSCs based on the open-ended freestanding TiO2 nanotube arrays, the energy conversion efficiency with carbon materials increased from 5.39% to 6.19% due to better electron transport, and that with a scattering layer from 5.39% to 6.24% due to more light harvesting compared to the DSSCs without carbon materials or scattering layer. Moreover, the energy conversion efficiency of DSSCs based on the open-ended freestanding TiO2 nanotube arrays with both carbon materials and scattering layer increased from 5.39% to 6.98%, which is an enhancement of 29.50%. In DSSCs based on the TiO2 nanotube arrays, the carbon materials can improve electron transport by π-π conjugation, and the large TiO2 NPs can enhance the capacity to light-harvest by scattering.