Effect of sodium on photovoltaic properties of dye-sensitized solar cells assembled with anatase TiO2 nanosheets with exposed {001} facets.

Anatase TiO(2) nanosheets with exposed reactive {001} facets were prepared in the presence of HF. The photovoltaic properties of NaOH-washed anatase TiO(2) nanosheets with exposed {001} facets were investigated by assembling the TiO(2) as photoanodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). A decreased overall efficiency and increased recombination rate was observed in comparison with the H(2)O-washed counterpart by both dark current scan and open-circuit voltage decay scan, and XPS confirmed that the deleterious effect of sodium ions is responsible for this reduced efficiency in DSSCs.