Oxygen deficiency red-shifts the bandgap by ~0.25 eV in TiO2 nanostructures.
Hydrogenation facilitates efficient electron generation and transport in TiO2.
Oxygen vacancy states shorten the carrier lifetime in DSSCs.
Efficiencies up to 7% are shown in DSSCs of diverse TiO2 nanostructures.
DSSCs of hydrogenated nanostructures are less efficient by 2–4 times.