Kelvin probe force microscopy of nanocrystalline TiO2 photoelectrodes

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) provide a promising third-generation photovoltaic concept based on the spectral sensitization of a wide-bandgap metal oxide. Although the nanocrystalline TiO2 photoelectrode of a DSC consists of sintered nanoparticles, there are few studies on the nanoscale properti...

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Main Authors:	Henning, Alex, Günzburger, Gino, Jöhr, Res, Rosenwaks, Yossi, Bozic-Weber, Biljana, Housecroft, Catherine E, Constable, Edwin C, Meyer, Ernst, Glatzel, Thilo
Format:	Online
Language:	English
Published:	Beilstein-Institut 2013
Online Access:	https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3701424/

id	pubmed-3701424
recordtype	oai_dc
spelling	pubmed-37014242013-07-10 Kelvin probe force microscopy of nanocrystalline TiO2 photoelectrodes Henning, Alex Günzburger, Gino Jöhr, Res Rosenwaks, Yossi Bozic-Weber, Biljana Housecroft, Catherine E Constable, Edwin C Meyer, Ernst Glatzel, Thilo Full Research Paper Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) provide a promising third-generation photovoltaic concept based on the spectral sensitization of a wide-bandgap metal oxide. Although the nanocrystalline TiO2 photoelectrode of a DSC consists of sintered nanoparticles, there are few studies on the nanoscale properties. We focus on the microscopic work function and surface photovoltage (SPV) determination of TiO2 photoelectrodes using Kelvin probe force microscopy in combination with a tunable illumination system. A comparison of the surface potentials for TiO2 photoelectrodes sensitized with two different dyes, i.e., the standard dye N719 and a copper(I) bis(imine) complex, reveals an inverse orientation of the surface dipole. A higher surface potential was determined for an N719 photoelectrode. The surface potential increase due to the surface dipole correlates with a higher DSC performance. Concluding from this, microscopic surface potential variations, attributed to the complex nanostructure of the photoelectrode, influence the DSC performance. For both bare and sensitized TiO2 photoelectrodes, the measurements reveal microscopic inhomogeneities of more than 100 mV in the work function and show recombination time differences at different locations. The bandgap of 3.2 eV, determined by SPV spectroscopy, remained constant throughout the TiO2 layer. The effect of the built-in potential on the DSC performance at the TiO2/SnO2:F interface, investigated on a nanometer scale by KPFM measurements under visible light illumination, has not been resolved so far. Beilstein-Institut 2013-07-01 /pmc/articles/PMC3701424/ /pubmed/23844348 http://dx.doi.org/10.3762/bjnano.4.49 Text en Copyright © 2013, Henning et al; licensee Beilstein-Institut. http://www.beilstein-journals.org/bjnano This is an Open Access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The license is subject to the Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology terms and conditions: (http://www.beilstein-journals.org/bjnano)
repository_type	Open Access Journal
institution_category	Foreign Institution
institution	US National Center for Biotechnology Information
building	NCBI PubMed
collection	Online Access
language	English
format	Online
author	Henning, Alex Günzburger, Gino Jöhr, Res Rosenwaks, Yossi Bozic-Weber, Biljana Housecroft, Catherine E Constable, Edwin C Meyer, Ernst Glatzel, Thilo
spellingShingle	Henning, Alex Günzburger, Gino Jöhr, Res Rosenwaks, Yossi Bozic-Weber, Biljana Housecroft, Catherine E Constable, Edwin C Meyer, Ernst Glatzel, Thilo Kelvin probe force microscopy of nanocrystalline TiO2 photoelectrodes
author_facet	Henning, Alex Günzburger, Gino Jöhr, Res Rosenwaks, Yossi Bozic-Weber, Biljana Housecroft, Catherine E Constable, Edwin C Meyer, Ernst Glatzel, Thilo
author_sort	Henning, Alex
title	Kelvin probe force microscopy of nanocrystalline TiO2 photoelectrodes
title_short	Kelvin probe force microscopy of nanocrystalline TiO2 photoelectrodes
title_full	Kelvin probe force microscopy of nanocrystalline TiO2 photoelectrodes
title_fullStr	Kelvin probe force microscopy of nanocrystalline TiO2 photoelectrodes
title_full_unstemmed	Kelvin probe force microscopy of nanocrystalline TiO2 photoelectrodes
title_sort	kelvin probe force microscopy of nanocrystalline tio2 photoelectrodes
description	Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) provide a promising third-generation photovoltaic concept based on the spectral sensitization of a wide-bandgap metal oxide. Although the nanocrystalline TiO2 photoelectrode of a DSC consists of sintered nanoparticles, there are few studies on the nanoscale properties. We focus on the microscopic work function and surface photovoltage (SPV) determination of TiO2 photoelectrodes using Kelvin probe force microscopy in combination with a tunable illumination system. A comparison of the surface potentials for TiO2 photoelectrodes sensitized with two different dyes, i.e., the standard dye N719 and a copper(I) bis(imine) complex, reveals an inverse orientation of the surface dipole. A higher surface potential was determined for an N719 photoelectrode. The surface potential increase due to the surface dipole correlates with a higher DSC performance. Concluding from this, microscopic surface potential variations, attributed to the complex nanostructure of the photoelectrode, influence the DSC performance. For both bare and sensitized TiO2 photoelectrodes, the measurements reveal microscopic inhomogeneities of more than 100 mV in the work function and show recombination time differences at different locations. The bandgap of 3.2 eV, determined by SPV spectroscopy, remained constant throughout the TiO2 layer. The effect of the built-in potential on the DSC performance at the TiO2/SnO2:F interface, investigated on a nanometer scale by KPFM measurements under visible light illumination, has not been resolved so far.
publisher	Beilstein-Institut
publishDate	2013
url	https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3701424/
_version_	1611991806127374336

Kelvin probe force microscopy of nanocrystalline TiO2 photoelectrodes

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