Titanium Carbide-Titanium Dioxide Fabricated by Electrical Discharge Machining for Perovskite Solar Cells

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is a technique commonly used for precision machining hard materials that produces nanoparticles as by-products. This study explores the synthesis of titanium carbide (TiC) by EDM. Specifically, TiC nanoparticles obtained from EDM on titanium plates were converted into TiC-TiO₂ through the heating process. Comprehensive characterizations were employed to analyze the structural, morphological, and electronic properties of the TiC-TiO₂ nanoparticles. The obtained TiC-TiO₂ was then utilized as an electron transport layer (ETL) material in perovskite solar cells. The impact of various EDM parameters on the quality and performance of the derived metal oxides in ETL was also examined. This study highlights a sustainable method for synthesizing high-quality TiC nanoparticles from EDM waste, demonstrating their potential to enhance the efficiency of perovskite solar cells to convert the product from EDM into valuable components for renewable energy technologies. This work underscores the dual benefits of waste reduction and solar cell applications.