Influence of the redox couple on the performance of dye-sensitized TiO_2 photoelectrochemical cells

摘要

TiO_2 films sensitized with ruthenium-based dyes have been shown to convert light with an incident photon-to-current efficiency of close to 1 [1].An important factor determining the cell performance is the redox couple in solution.Upon absorption of a photon,the dye injects an electron into the TiO_2 conduction band,and the oxidized dye is reduced by the reducing agent in solution.Hence,the equilibrium potential,the exchange current density,the transfer coefficients,and the reversibility of the redox couple are important factors for the performance and life time of dye-sensitized TiO_2 photoelectrochemical cells.