The performance of dye-sensitized solar cells based on ZnO nanorods and nanoflowers coated with thin shells of TiO2 thin film prepared by sol-gel deposition are described. It is found that shells act as insulating barriers that improve cell open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current density. The superior performance of the ZnO-TiO2 core-shell cells is a result of a radial electron transport within each ZnO nanorods and nanoflowers that decreases the rate of recombination and percolation of the electron in these devices. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.