Photocurrent enhancement of dye-sensitized solar cells owing to increased dye-adsorption onto silicon-nanoparticle-coated titanium-dioxide films.

The inverse-micellar preparation of Si nanoparticles (Nps) was improved by utilizing sodium naphthalide. The Si Nps were subsequently functionalized with 4-vinylbenzoic acid for their attachment onto TiO(2) films of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The average diameter of the COOH-functionalized Si (Si-COOH) Nps was 4.

Treatment of TiO2 with COOH-functionalized germanium nanoparticles to enhance the photocurrent of dye-sensitized solar cells.

A dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) containing a TiO(2) film treated with COOH-functionalized germanium nanoparticles (Ge-COOH Nps) exhibited a higher short-circuit photocurrent density (J(sc); 15.4 mA cm(-2)) compared to the corresponding untreated DSSC (13.4 mA cm(-2)) using N719 and a 12 μm thick TiO(2) film at 100 mW cm(-2).