LAUSR

Abstract An effective photoanode is essential for an efficient dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). In this paper, composites of TiO 2 nanotubes (or nanowires) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) with different RGO contents are prepared through a hydrothermal method and applied as the photoanode for DSSCs. The composition, morphology, and photovoltaic performance of the composites were evaluated in detail. We show that the RGO content in the composite is a critical factor for the photovoltaic properties of devices constructed from these composites. The DSSC performance initially increases and then decreases with increasing RGO content of the composites. The morphology of the TiO 2 nanostructure also has a profound impact on the DSSC performance. TiO 2 nanotubes are more favorable than TiO 2 nanowires for the construction of the composites in terms of DSSC performance. The DSSC based on the RGO- TiO 2 nanotubes with 2% of RGO exhibits optimal performance with an overall energy conversion efficiency of 5.33%. The enhanced DSSC performance of the RGO- TiO 2 nanotubes results from the facilitated electron transport at the RGO- TiO 2 /dye|electrolyte interface and improved dye adsorption on the photoanode.