A dye-sensitized solar cell (DYSC) was assembled by adsorbing cis-dithiocyanato-bis (2,2'-bipyridyl-4,4'-dicarboxylate) ruthenium (11) onto TiO2 porous film. The influence of acid treatment of TiO2 electrode with different kinds and concentrations on the photoelectric performance of DYSC was investigated. It was found that DYSC had better photoelectric performance when the TiO2 electrode was treated by hydrochloric acid than that by sulfuric acid, nitric acid and phosphoric acid. When the concentration of hydrochloric acid to treat TiO2 electrode increases from 0 to 0.10 M, the fill factor of DYSC increases, the short-circuit current decreases, the open-circuit photovoltage increases and the absorption amount for TiO2 porous film to dye molecules decreases. The acid treatment of TiO2 electrode provides useful information on the mechanism of energy conversion of DYSC. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.