Fermi energy level tuning for high performance dye sensitized solar cells using sp(2) selective nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube channels

Abstract

Here, we find that doping sp(2) selective nitrogen, N sp(2), into carbon nanotube (CNT) channels induces a positive shift in the Fermi level of TiO2 photoelectrodes. It is found that this results in the large diffusion coefficient of solar driven electrons for increasing the photocurrent as well as in the low recombination rate for improving open circuit voltage with 0.74 V, which could not be overcome by using pristine CNT channels with 0.66 V.