Flexible Photoelectrode Based on Binder-Free Paste for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell

The flexible Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) has a huge potential in portable devices. However, the fabrication of flexible DSC is a challenge as it is tough to sinter TiO2 film at low temperature. Therefore, in this study, a binder-free TiO2 paste is presented, which has been sintered on a flexible conductive substrate using UV exposure. The UV exposure time is optimized based on the XRD, FTIR, FESEM and UV�Vis spectrophotometer. The XRD has shown that TiO2 is perfectly crystalline and UV exposure transforms anatase and brookite completely into the rutile phase. This transformation is investigated by sintering the same type of samples in an oven. It is found that oven sintering does not support anatase transformation into rutile. Moreover, FTIR, FESEM and UV�Vis transmittance has revealed that a 5 h of UV exposure is the optimum time to degrade the organic matter of the paste and properly sinter the film on a flexible substrate. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.