Nanostructured TiO2 Films Attached CdSe QDs Toward Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Performance

TiO2 films consisted of small nanoparticles were fabricated via a spinning coating method on fluorine doped in tin oxide (FTO) slide glass. After calcination, the films were subsequently sensitized by CdSe quantum dots (QDs) using mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) as a bifunctional surface modifier. Upon UV light irradiation, CdSe QDs inject electrons into TiO2 nanoparticles, thus resulting in the generation of photocurrent in QD-sensitized solar cell. The results indicate that TiO2 films sensitized by CdSe QDs have achieved 1.5-fold enhancement in photocurrent compared with pure TiO2 films, indicating that CdSe QDs can improve the photocurrent by promoting the separation of photoinduced charge carriers. In addition, the photocurrent enhances as the thickness of TiO2 films increased. Such improved photoelectrochemical performance is ascribed to the basis of improved interfacial charge transport of the TiO2-CdSe composite films. Combining QDs on TiO2 thin films is a promising and effective way to enhance the photoelectrochemical performance, which is important in QD-sensitized solar cell application.