Improving photoelectrochemical activity of dye sensitized solar cell by a bilayered electrode with an overlayer of mesoporous anatase TiO_2

For better performance of dye sensitized solar cells （DSSCs）, a bilayer structured electrode was constructed by employing a mesoporous anatase TiO2 overlayer above a commercial P25 TiO2 nanoparticles underlayer. The mesoporous anatase TiO2, prepared through a facile surfactant-assisted sol-gel process, possessed large pore size and well inter-connected network structure, both beneficial for dye adsorption and electron transfer. The dye adsorption capability of the mesoporous TiO2 was nearly twice that of the P25 counterpart. In the electrode, the mesoporous TiO2 film enhanced both dye adsorption and lightharvest, to increase photocurrent （Jsc） from 12.32 to 14.78 mA/cm^2. Compared to the single P25 TiO2 film, the synergy of the mesoporous TiO2 and the P25 TiO2 nanoparticle films in the electrode resulted in a 24% improvement in light-to-electricity conversion efficiency （η）. This bilayered electrode provides an alternative approach for further developing a photovoltaic device with better cell performance.