• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.475-475
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• 2014

Dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are regarded as potential inexpensive alternatives to conventional solid-state devices. The flexible version, employing conductive-plastic-film substrates, is appealing for commercialization of DSSCs because it not only reduces the weight and cost of the device but also extends their applications. However, the need for high temperature does not permit the use of plastic-film substrate. So, development of low-temperature methods is therefore realization of flexible DSSCs. In this work, the electrophoretic deposition combined with hydrothermal treatment was employed to prepare nanocrystalline $TiO_2$ thin film at low temperature. We confirmed the prepared $TiO_2$ thin films with different voltages and deposition times in the electrophoretic deposition process. Properties of the $TiO_2$ films were investigated by various analysis method such as X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and UV-visible spectrophotometer.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.33-36
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• 2009

In order to increase the magnetic loss for electromagnetic(EM) wave absorption, the soft magnetic $Fe_{73}Si_{16}B_7Nb_3Cu_1$(at%) alloy strip was used as the basic material in this study. The melt-spun strip was pulverized using an attrition mill, and the pulverized flake-shaped powder was crystallized at $540^{\circ}C$ for 1h to obtain the optimum grain size. The Fe-based powder was mixed with 2 wt% $BaTiO_3$, $0.3{\sim}0.6$ wt% carbon black, and polymer-based binders for the improvement of electromagnetic wave absorption properties. The mixture powders were tape-cast and dried to form the absorption sheets. After drying at $100^{\circ}C$ for 1h, the sheets of 0.5 mm in thickness were made by rolling at $60^{\circ}C$, and cut into toroidal shape to measure the absorption properties of samples. The characteristics including permittivity, permeability and power loss were measured using a Network Analyzer(N5230A). Consequently, the properties of electromagnetic wave absorber were improved with the addition of both $BaTiO_3$ and carbon black powder, which was caused by the increased dielectric loss of the additive powders.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.45 no.11
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• pp.688-693
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• 2008

This paper presents a study on the photocatalytic reaction about the composite particles of $TiO_2$-coated phosphors under visible light irradiation. Nanocrystalline titanium dioxide layers were directly coated on the alkaline earth aluminate phosphor, $CaAl_2O_4:Eu^{2+},\;Nd^{3+}$ particles by an sol-gel processing method. The photocatalytic reaction was analyzed with the degradation of methylene blue (MB) aqueous solution under UV and visible light irradiations. $TiO_2$-coated phosphor powders showed different photocatalytic mechanism, compared with pure $TiO_2$ (P-25, Degussa). Under UV-irradiation, $TiO_2$-coated phosphor powders showed slow photocatalytic reactivity in the early stage and fast in the latter, compared with that of pure $TiO_2$. However, $TiO_2$-coated phosphor powders showed much faster photocatalytic reactivity than that of pure $TiO_2$ under visible irradiation. In addition, the characterizations of the $TiO_2$-coated phosphor powders were conducted by a X-ray diffractometer (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS).

• Journal of Photoscience
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.199-202
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• 2003

The relationship between the morphology of nanostructured TiO$_2$ films and the photo-injected electron transport has been investigated using intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy (IMPS). For this purpose, three different TiO$_2$ films with 5 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ thickness are prepared: The rutile TiO$_2$ film with 500 nm-sized cluster-like spherical bundles composed of the individual needles (Tl), the rutile TiO$_2$ film made up of non-oriented, homogeneously distributed rod-shaped particles having a dimension of approximately 20${\times}$80 nm (T2), and the anatase TiO$_2$ film with 20 nm-sized spherically shaped particles (T3). Cross sectional scanning electron micrographs show that all of the TiO$_2$films have a quite different particle packing density: poorly packed Tl film, loosely packed T2 film and densely packed T3 film. The electron transport is found to be significantly influenced by film morphology. The effective electron diffusion coefficient D$_{eff}$ derived from the IMPS time constant is an order of magnitude lower for T2 than for T3, but the D$_{eff}$ for the Tl sample is much lower than T2. These differences in the rate of electron transport are ascribed to differences in the extent of interparticle connectivity associated with the particle packing density.ity.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.685-690
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• 2011

In this study, a solvothermal reaction to prepare nanocrystalline titania was carried out using $TiCl_4$ and mixed solvents of alcohol and water. The effects of the type and the composition of alcohol on the crystal structure and agglomeration of final $TiO_2$ products were investigated. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In the solvothermal reaction using the n-butanol solutions with different volume ratios of n-butanol/water (100/0, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75, 0/100), the extent of agglomeration of obtained rutile $TiO_2$ was found to change with the volume ratio of n-butanol/water, and the n-butanol/water ratio of 75/25 revealed the best result for the preparation of well-dispersed nanocrystalline $TiO_2$ powders. The crystal phase of $TiO_2$ prepared through the solvothermal reaction changed with the type of alcohol in solvent (alcohol/water = 75/25). $TiO_2$ products obtained with the aqueous solutions of methanol, ethanol and isopropanol have an anatase phase, while that with n-butanol has a rutile phase. The results showed that, in the solvothermal reaction using both $TiCl_4$ as a starting material and the alcohol-water mixed solvents without any other additive, the enhancement of dispersion and control of crystal structure of $TiO_2$ products can be feasible by simply varying the composition and type of alcohol in the mixed solvents.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.8.1-8.1
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• 2011

Nanocrystalline titanium dioxide ($TiO_2$) materials have been widely used as an electron collector in DSSC. This is required to have an extremely high porosity and surface area such that the dye can be sufficiently adsorbed and be electronically interconnected, resulting in the generation of a high photocurrent within cells. In particular, their geometrical structures and crystalline phase have been extensively investigated as important issues in improving its photovoltaic efficiency. In this study, we present a new strategy to fabricate a photoelectrode having a periodic structured $TiO_2$ film templated from 1D or 3D polystyrene (PS) microspheres array. Monodisperse PS spheres of various radiuses were used for colloidal array on FTO glasses and two types of photoelectrode structures with different $TiO_2$ materials were investigated respectively. One is the igloo-shaped electrode prepared by $TiO_2$ deposition by RF-sputtering onto 2D microsphere-templated substrates. At the interface between the film and substrate, there are voids formed by the decomposition of PS microspheres during the calcination step. These holes might be expected to play the predominant roles as scattering spherical voids to promote a light harvesting effect, a spacious structure for electrolytes with higher viscosity and effective paths for electron transfer. Additionally the nanocrystalline $TiO_2$ phase prepared by the RF-sputtering method was previously reported to improve the electron drift mobility within $TiO_2$ electrodes. This yields solar cells with a cell efficiency of 2.45% or more at AM 1.5 illumination, which is a very remarkable result, considering its $TiO_2$ electrode thickness (<2 ${\mu}m$). This study can be expanded to obtain higher cell efficiency by higher dye loading through the increase of surface area or multi-layered stacking. The other is the inverse opal photonic crystal electrode prepared by titania particles infusion within 3D colloidal arrays. To obtain the enlargement of ordered area and high quality of crystallinity, the synthesis of titania particles coated with a organic thin layer were applied instead of sol-gel process using the $TiO_2$ precursors. They were dispersed so well in most solvents without aggregates and infused successfully within colloidal array structures. This ordered mesoporous structure provides the large surface area leading to the enough adsorption of dye molecules and have an light harvesting effect due to the photonic band gap properties (back-and-forth reflection effects within structures). A major advantage of this colloidal array template method is that the pore size and its distribution within $TiO_2$ photoelectrodes are determined by those of latex beads, which can be controlled easily. These materials may have promising potentials for future applications of membrane, sensor and so on as well as solar cells.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.7-16
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• 2005

Dye-sensitized solar cells(DSSCs) have been under investigation for the past decade due to their attractive features such as high energy conversion efficiency and low production costs. The basis for energy conversion in the injection of electrons from a photoexcited stateof a dye sensitizer into the conduction band of the nanocrystalline $TiO_2$ semiconductor upon absorption of light. It is believed that the DSSC is one of the most promising technologies to solve the significant energy problems. In this article, the development trends and perspective of DSSCs were reviewed.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.2365-2370
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• 2009

A working electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells was fabricated using $TiO_2$ colloidal sol prepared from titanium isopropoxide used as a starting material by applying the sol-gel method. The effect of aging times and temperatures on physical and chemical properties of $TiO_2$ sol particles was systematically investigated. Results showed that the crystallinity and average particle size of $TiO_2$ colloidal sol can be successfully controlled by the adjustment of aging time and temperature. The conversion efficiency of the repetitive dry coating films fabricated using the dried $TiO_2$ colloidal sol particles and hydroxypropyl cellulose binder (15%) was 10.31% with a high transparency.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.67-72
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• 2014

Nanocrystalline materials have received much attention as advanced engineering materials with improved physical and mechanical properties, including high strength, high hardness, excellent ductility and toughness. In this study, nanopowders of $Al_2O_3$, MgO and $TiO_2$ were prepared as starting materials by high energy ball milling for the simultaneous synthesis and sintering of the nanostructured compound $Mg_4Al_2Ti_9O_{25}$ by high-frequency induction heating process. The highly dense nanostructured $Mg_4Al_2Ti_9O_{25}$ compound was produced within one minute by the simultaneous application of 80MPa pressure and induced current. The sintering behavior, grain size and mechanical properties of the $Mg_4Al_2Ti_9O_{25}$ compound were evaluated.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.415-418
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• 2014

Phenyltrimethoxysilane (PTMS) was anchored onto the sensitized $TiO_2$ nanoparticles. This insulating molecular layer effectively inhibited the charge recombination at the interface of $TiO_2$/electrolyte in the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) without sacrificing the dye-loading capacity of the nanocrystalline $TiO_2$. DSCs using PTMS-modified $TiO_2$ exhibited a short-circuit current ($J_{SC}$) of $15.9mA/cm^2$, an open-circuit voltage ($V_{OC}$) of 789 mV, and a fill factor (FF) of 68.2%, yielding an overall conversion efficiency (${\eta}$) of 8.55% under $100mW/cm^2$ illumination. The resulting cell efficiency was improved by ~10% as compared with the reference cell.