The performance of photo voltaic devices could be improved by using rationally designed nano composites with high electron mobility to efficiently collect photo-generated electrons. Single-walled carbon nano tubes exhibit very high electron mobility.
but the incorporation of such nano tubes into nano composites to create efficient photo voltaic devices is challenging.
Here, we report the synthesis of single-walled carbon nano tube–TiO2 nano crystal core–shell nano composites using a genetically engineered M13 virus as a template.
By using the nano composites as photo anodes in dye-sensitized solar cells, we demonstrate that even small fractions of nano tubes improve the power conversion efficiency by increasing the electron collection efficiency.
We also show that both the electronic type and degree of bundling of the nano tubes in the nano tube/TiO2 complex are critical factors in determining device performance.
With our approach, we achieve a power conversion efficiency in the dye-sensitized solar cells of 10.6%.
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