Manufacturing of mesoporous TiO2 film for dye-sensitized solar cell

염료감응형 태양전지용 나노다공질 TiO$_2$ 전극막의 제조

The mesoporous TiO2 film for the dye-sensitized solar cell was prepared by the spin coating using nano particle $TiO_2$ slurry. In order to obtain the good dispersion of nano size $TiO_2$ particles in slurry, the pH of solvent, the sort and quantity of solvent additive and the quantity of surfactant were adjusted. The experimental range of pH was $2\;{\sim}\;4$. The basic solvent for slurry was dilute $HNO_3$ and the solvent additives were ethylene glycol, propylene glycol and butylene glycol. The degree of particle dispersion was indirectly estimated by the viscosity of slurry and the microstructure after sintering. As results, the lower the pH of solvent was the lower the viscosity of the slurry became. The addition of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol to dilute $HNO_3$ brought about the lowering of viscosity and the enhancement of stability in slurry. The addition of surfactant lowered the viscosity of slurry. It was possible to obtain the homogeneous and uniformly dispersed mesoporous TiO2 film using the dilute HNO3 solvent of pH 2 with the addition of ethylene glycol, propylene glycol and neutral surfactant.