Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with the surface physisorbed by poly(sodium-4-styrenesulfonate) (denoted as NaPSS-MWCNTs) were able to well disperse in the TiO2 paste, resulting in the increase of anatase crystalline phase and higher light transmittance after casting into film and sintering. To fabricate the photoelectrode for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), incorporating 0.03 wt% NaPSSMWCNT5 into the TiO2 mesoporous film increased the short-circuit current density (Jsc) from 18.85 +/- 0.04 to 20.68 +/- 0.11 mA/cm(2) and power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 7.86 +/- 0.05 to 8.42 +/- 0.02% under AM 1.5 illumination at full sunlight. It suggested that well dispersed MWCNTs provided not only extra electron transport channels among TiO2 nanoparticles but also more light absorption of ruthenium dyes leading to higher Jsc and PCE. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.