The effects of lithium silicate (LS) as a surface modifier on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were studied. LS-modified TiO2 electrodes (LS-TiO2/FTO) prepared by a soaking process were applied to the photoelectrodes of DSSCs. The reference device without any modification showed performance of 0.68 V of open-circuit voltage (V-oc), 21.40 mA/cm(2) of short-circuit current (J(sc)), and 63.21% of fill factor (FF), which led to a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.20%, whereas for the device with the LS-TiO2/FTO electrode, the PCE was increased to 10.58% (V-oc = 0.79 V, J(sc) = 20.22 mA/cm(2), and FF= 66.21%). By monitoring the changes in dark current-voltage characteristics, normalized IPCE spectra, and electrochemical impedance spectra, it was revealed that the LS modification induced the formation of a surface dipole on the TiO2 photoelectrode, leading to the conduction band edge shift of TiO2 toward a negative direction, and thus to an enhancement in V-oc and a decrease in J(sc). (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.