Highly efficient CdSe-sensitized TiO₂ photoelectrode for quantum-dot-sensitized solar cell applications

A study was conducted to demonstrate highly efficient CdSe-sensitized titanium dioxide (TiO₂) photoelectrode for quantum-dot (QD)-sensitized solar cell applications. The study demonstrated the assembly of CdSe into nanocrystalline TiO₂ films, using a technique that coupled self-assembled monolayer (SAM) and chemical bath deposition (CBD). Colloidal CdS-QDs were first self-assembled on TiO₂ surface, using a bifunctional linker, 3-mercaptopropyl trimethyoxysilane (MPTMS). It was demonstrated that the pre-assembled CdS-QD layer acts as a seed layer in the CBD process, inducing the nucleation and growth of CdSe. Mesoscopic TiO₂ films were prepared by spin coating of TiO₂ paste on indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) substrates, followed by sintering at 450°C for 30 minutes.