Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on TiO₂ Nanoparticles Modified by Wet Milling

Anthony Huamán, Maria Quintana, Juan Rodriguez, Walter Estrada

Department of Engineering Physics, Faculty of Science National University of Engineering, Lima, Peru.

DOI: 10.4236/epe.2014.613040                

Abstract

TiO₂ nanoparticles were produced from a commercial anatase powder through a wet milling process. The effect of grinding intensity, which is directly dependent on the operating parameters, was analyzed and the performance of polyethylene glycol (PEG400) as a dispersing agent in the milling system was also tested. The results showed that the processes using polyethylene glycol achieved a greater fragmentation of particles. This could be observed in the histograms made from SEM images taken from samples of powders from the processes, whose populations reached an average size of approximately 90 nm. The TiO₂ powders obtained by milling were then used in the manufacture of dye-sensitized solar cells. It was verified that the powders produced using the dispersing agent achieved the greatest efficiencies, the highest being 0.94%. The current produced by the cells proved to be very low compared to the voltages obtained which gave acceptable values up to 0.81 V.

Keywords

TiO₂ Nanoparticles, Wet Milling, Solar Cells

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Raab, C., Simkó, M. and Fiedeler, U. (2011) Production of Nanoparticles and Nanomaterials. NanoTrust-Dossier, 6, 1-4.
[2]	Stenger, F., Mende, S., Schwedes, J. and Peukert, W. (2005) Nanomilling in Stirred Media Mills. Chemical Engineering Science, 60, 4557-4565. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2005.02.057
[3]	Bilgili, E., Hamey, R. and Scarlett, B. (2006) Nano-Milling of Pigment Agglomerates Using a Wet Stirred Media Mill: Elucidation of the Kinetics and Breakage Mechanisms. Chemical Engineering Science, 61, 149-157. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2004.11.063
[4]	Bel Fadhel, H. and Frances, C. (2001) Wet batch Grinding of Alumina Hydrate in a Stirred Bead Mill. Powder Technology, 119, 257-268. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0032-5910(01)00266-2
[5]	He, M., Wang, Y. and Forssberg, E. (2006) Parameter Effects on Wet Ultrafine Grinding of Limestone through Slurry Rheology in a Stirred Media Mill. Powder Technology, 161, 10-21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2005.08.026
[6]	Suryanarayana, C. (2001) Mechanical Alloying and Milling. Progress in Materials Science, 46, 1-184. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0079-6425(99)00010-9
[7]	Estrada, W., Solís, J. and Rodriguez, J. (2009) Recubrimientos delgados obtenidos por procedimientos físico-químicos. Editorial universitaria de la Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería, Lima.
[8]	Diebold, U. (2003) The Surface Science of Titanium Dioxide. Surface Science Reports, 48, 53-229. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0167-5729(02)00100-0
[9]	Hagfeldt, A., Cappel, U.B., Boschloo, G. and Sun, L. (2012) Dye-Sensitized Photoelectrochemical Cells: Practical Handbook of Photovoltaics. Elsevier Science Ltd., Berlin, 477-542.
[10]	Bid, S. and Pradhan, S.K. (2004) Characterization of Crystalline Structure of Ball-Milled Nano Ni-Zn-Ferrite by Rietveld Method. Materials Chemistry and Physics, 84, 291-301. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.matchemphys.2003.08.012