Fabrication and stability of opened-end TiO₂ nanotube arrays based dye-sensitized solar cells

TiO₂ nanotube arrays were prepared by an electrochemical anodization of Ti foil, and then the detached TiO₂ nanotube arrays were transferred onto a fluorine-doped tin oxide glass as photoanodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). DSSCs based on the opened-end TiO₂ nanotube arrays were fabricated, and the stability of the as-fabricated DSSCs was studied by the I-V characterization of the devices after being placed in air for different days. Results indicate that the DSSC fabricated from the TiO₂ nanotube arrays treated at 100 V for 6 min in the synthesized process has the best performance, since the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the device declines only 17.4% after 14 days, which decreases from 5.01% to 4.14%.