Dye stabilization and enhanced photoelectrode wettability in water-based dye-sensitized solar cells through post-assembly atomic layer deposition of TiO₂

Detachment (desorption) of molecular dyes from photoelectrodes is one of the major limitations for the long-term operation of dye-sensitized solar cells. Here we demonstrate a method to greatly inhibit this loss by growing a transparent metal oxide (TiO₂) on the dye-coated photoelectrode via atomic layer deposition (ALD). TiO₂-enshrouded sensitizers largely resist detachment, even in pH 10.7 ethanol, a standard solution for intentional removal of molecular dyes from photoelectrodes. Additionally, the ALD post-treatment renders the otherwise hydrophobic dye-coated surface hydrophilic, thereby enhancing photoelectrode pore-filling with aqueous solution.