The effect of an amorphous TiO(x) interlayer on layered graphene/quantum dots photochemical cells has been investigated. The addition of the TiO(x) interlayer eliminates the decay of photocurrent in the initial seconds after light illumination and significantly increases the slope of the steady-state photocurrent versus the light intensity. The open-circuit voltage decay measurements further illustrate a longer electron lifetime when an amorphous TiO(x) interlayer is applied. Consequently, the photocurrent and photovoltage of the photovoltaic cell with a TiO(x) interlayer are greatly increased. This work demonstrates that the graphene/amorphous TiO(x) composite structure effectively inhibits charge recombination while enhancing charge transfer, providing a promising scaffold for quantum dots and dye-sensitized photovoltaic cells.
© 2011 American Chemical Society