Holistically modulating charge recombination via trisiloxane surface treatment for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells

•A novel trisiloxane molecule (TSi) is adopted to modify TiO2.•TSi could simultaneously passivate surface defects, lower the work-function and enhance the hydrophobicity of TiO2.•DSSCs based on TiO2/TSi as electron transport layer (ETL) deliever a PCE of 9.43%.•The control devices based on TiO2 as ETL only produce an efficiency of 8.09%.