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Cell Biology JoVE (Open Access) Citable · DOI

Digital Printing of Titanium Dioxide for Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

DOI: 10.3791/53963-v
What you'll learn
  • ✓ Formulate binder-free TiO2 nanoparticle ink for inkjet printing
  • ✓ Print TiO2 layers onto FTO glass substrates using inkjet technology
  • ✓ Assemble and characterize dye-sensitized solar cells from printed components
  • ✓ Evaluate photovoltaic performance of inkjet-printed DSSC devices
Protocol

This paper investigates the suitability of inkjet printing for the manufacturing of dye-sensitized solar cells. A binder-free TiO2 nanoparticle ink was formulated and printed onto a FTO glass substrate. The printed layer was fabricated into a cell with an active area of 0.25 cm2 and an efficiency of 3.5%.

Difficulty
intermediate
Total time
~3–4 hours (ink formulation and printing); ~1 day (cell assembly and characterization)

Steps

1
Formulate binder-free TiO2 nanoparticle ink

Prepare and characterize a TiO2 nanoparticle suspension optimized for inkjet printing without binder additives. This ink formulation is essential for achieving high-quality printed layers.

▶ 01:06
2
Perform inkjet printing onto FTO substrate

Deposit the formulated TiO2 ink onto fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrate using inkjet printing technology. Control printing parameters to achieve uniform, reproducible layers.

▶ 02:47
3
Assemble dye-sensitized solar cell device

Fabricate a complete DSSC using the printed TiO2 layer with active area of 0.25 cm², incorporating dye sensitizer and counter-electrode components.

▶ 04:41
4
Measure DSSC photovoltaic performance characteristics

Test the assembled solar cell to determine efficiency, current-voltage characteristics, and other performance metrics (achieved 3.5% efficiency in this study).

▶ 06:18
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