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Effect of TiO2 surface treatment on electron transfer in dye-sensitized solar cells

Defect states in the TiO2 nanoparticles can cause severe charge recombination and poor electron-transport efficiency when used as a photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Herein, we report a simple and practical way to passivate the surface defects of TiO2 through hydrothermal treating with acetic acid and H2SO4, introducing a high percentage of 101 facets and sulfonic acid functional groups on the TiO2 surface. A high efficiency of 8.12% has been achieved, which is 14% higher than that of untreated TiO2 under the same condition. EIS results prove that the multiacid-treated TiO2 can promote electron transport and reduce charge recombination at the interface of the TiO2 and electrolyte. This work provides an efficient approach to engineer the electron-transport pathway in DSSCs.