Enhanced Photovoltaic Performance of TiO2 Thin Films Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells by Incorporating TiO2 Nanoparticles

We fabricated TiO2 thin films using the sol–gel method, incorporating TiO2 nanoparticle sizes of 25 nm on the fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates by spin coating and annelation at 600 °C. The influence of incorporating TiO2 particles on the surface morphology, optical properties, and photovoltaic performance of TiO2 thin-film dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) was examined. Structural characterization was analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), while the morphologies were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The transmittance and absorbance of films were measured using an ultraviolet (UV)–visible (VIS)–near-infrared (NIR) spectrophotometer. The current–voltage (I-V) property was evaluated under simulated solar irradiation. The results demonstrated that the incorporation of TiO2 particles enhanced the efficiency of DSSCs. The photovoltaic performance of DSSCs was improved with TiO2 nanoparticle incorporation. The optimized DSSC incorporated TiO2 films (TIFNA). TIFNA achieved a Jsc of 14.49 mA/cm2, Voc of 0.69 V, fill factor of 60.5%, and efficiency of 6.05%, compared to 4.23% for the DSSC with unincorporated TiO2 thin film. The improved performance was attributed to increased dye adsorption, better crystallinity, and enhanced electron transport.