Titania sensitized with SPADNS dye for dye sensitized solar cell

Synthesis of anatase TiO2 nanoparticle with diameter about 25 nm is carried out by using chemical method and powder of TiO2 nanoparticle is pasted on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass by doctor blade. New organic SPADNS dye (C16H9N2Na3O11S3) is used first time to make the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). Cell were constructed by using SPADNS dye loaded wide band gap anatase TiO2 nanoparticle on FTO coated glass as photo-anode, polyiodide as electrolyte, and platinum coated FTO as counter electrode. SPADNS dye was made from organic reagent which is low cost and easy available in market. Better adsorption of SPADNS dye on anatase TiO2 film is due to porous nature of TiO2. This better adsorption gives more transportation of electron from dye to TiO2 which increase the efficiency of solar cell. Although SPADNS dye is the first experiment with TiO2 nanoparticle for DSSC, it gives photocurrent (short-circuit current density) 1.04 mA/cm2, open-circuit voltage 0.59 V, with 0.9 % efficiency under 10 mW/m2 LED.