Jung, Heesoo Park, Jaeyoung Yoo, Eun Sang Han, Gill-Sang Jung, Hyun Suk Ko, Min Jae Park, Sanghoo Choe, Wonho 2024-01-20T11:33:36Z 2024-01-20T11:33:36Z 2021-09-05 2013-09 2040-3364 https://pubs.kist.re.kr/handle/201004/127713 A key challenge to the industrial application of nanotechnology is the development of fabrication processes for functional devices based on nanomaterials which can be scaled up for mass production. In this report, we disclose the results of non-thermal radio-frequency (rf) atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) based deposition of TiO2 nanoparticles on a flexible substrate for the fabrication of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Operating at 190 degrees C without a vacuum enclosure, the APP method can avoid thermal damage and vacuum compatibility restrictions and utilize roll-to-roll processing over a large area. The various analyses of the TiO2 films demonstrate that superior film properties can be obtained by the non-thermal APP method when compared with the thermal sintering process operating at 450 degrees C. The crystallinity of the anatase TiO2 nanoparticles is significantly improved without thermal agglomeration, while the surface defects such as Ti3+ ions are eliminated, thus providing efficient charge collecting properties for solar cells. Finally, we successfully fabricated a flexible DSSC with an energy conversion efficiency of 4.2% using a transparent plastic substrate. This work demonstrates the potential of non-thermal APP technology in the area of device-level, nano-enabled material manufacturing. English ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY TIO2 NANOPARTICLES FILMS NANOSTRUCTURES NANOCRYSTALS FABRICATION NANOSCALE SURFACES ARRAYS Functionalization of nanomaterials by non-thermal large area atmospheric pressure plasmas: application to flexible dye-sensitized solar cells Article 10.1039/c3nr01889j 1 NANOSCALE, v.5, no.17, pp.7825 - 7830 NANOSCALE 5 17 7825 7830 scie scopus 000322958800020 2-s2.0-84881497690 Chemistry, Multidisciplinary Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Materials Science, Multidisciplinary Physics, Applied Chemistry Science & Technology - Other Topics Materials Science Physics Article TIO2 NANOPARTICLES FILMS NANOSTRUCTURES NANOCRYSTALS FABRICATION NANOSCALE SURFACES ARRAYS dye-sensitized solar cells atmospheric pressure plasmas flexible