Abstract
In this study, we describe a simple selective etching method that produces noncurling, freestanding, large-area, aligned $TiO_2$ nanotube (NT) with doubly ends opened. The novel selective etching process only removed the thin 2nd bottom layer from the physically and chemically stable thick amorphous 1st top layer under thermal treatment at $250^{\circ}C$, yielding ordered doubly open-ended NT (DNT) that could be easily transferred to an FTO substrate for the fabrication of front-illuminated dye sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The DNT-DSCs yielded a higher PCE (8.6%) than was observed from $TiO_2$ nanoparticle (TNP)-based DSCs (7.3%), for comparable film thicknesses of $16{\mu}m$, despite of 20% decreased amount of dye. Intensity-modulated photocurrent and photovoltage spectroscopy (IMPS and IMVS, respectively) revealed that the DNT-DSCs exhibited electron lifetimes that were 10 times longer than those of TNP-DSCs, which contributed to high device performances.