Abstract
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) show great promise as an inexpensive alternative to conventional p-n junction solar cells. Investigations into the various factors influencing the photovoltaic efficiency have recently been intensified. The conventional absorber electrode in DSSC is composed of compacted or sintered $TiO_2$ nanopowder that carries an anchored organic dye. The absorbance of incident light in the DSC is realized by specifically engineered dye molecules placed on the semiconductor electrode surface ($TiO_2$). The dye absorbs light at wavelengths up to about 920nm, the energy of the exited state of the molecule should be about 1.35eV above the electronic ground state corresponding to the ideal band gap of a single band gap solar cell. The dye molecules ar adhered onto the nanostrutured $TiO_2$ electrode by immersing the sintered electrode into a dye solution, typically 3mM in alcohol, for a long enough period to fully impregnate the electrode. However, the concentrations of the dye is slightly changed due to the evaporation of the alcohol. The dye is more expensive than other materials in DSSC and related to the efficiency of DSSC. Therefore, the concentrations of the dye should be carefully measured. In this study, we investigated to the dye loading on fired $TiO_2$ powder as a function of temperature by the TG-DTA and the dye solution by UV-visible spectroscopy after the impregnation process. The dye loading is related to the porosity of the nanostructured $TiO_2$ electrode.
