LAUSR

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are low cost and eco-friendly photovoltaic devices which require new ideas for further development. In this paper, we use electro-spun TiO2 nanofibers to prepare the DSSCs photoanode. In order to isolate the FTO and electrolyte species, we deposit a spin-coated TiO2 blocking layer at their interface. The performance of this cell is further improved by introducing surface plasmon resonances (SPRs) at the surface of the nanofibers. It is shown that SPRs increase the generated current in the cells by providing a higher light absorption and lower recombination. Our best cell showed an efficiency of 6.19%, which is a 28% improvement in comparison to the bare DSSC with 4.84% efficiency. The results of this paper are acquired and confirmed by XRD, FESEM, TEM, EDS, dye-loading, IPCE, J–V, and EIS measurements.