Enhancement of photocurrent generation and open circuit voltage in dye-sensitized solar cells using Li+ trapping species in the gel electrolyte

The influence of the addition of 12-crown-4 ether in a gel polymer electrolyte based to a PEO copolymer and its application in dye sensitized solar cells were investigated. Introduction of these Li+ trapping species brought beneficial contributions to both V(oc) and J(sc) values, increasing the device's performance.     

Butyronitrile-based electrolyte for dye-sensitized solar cells

We elaborated a new electrolyte composition, based on butyronitrile solvent, that exhibits low volatility for use in dye-sensitized solar cells. The strong point of this new class of electrolyte is that it combines high efficiency and excellent stability properties, while having all the physical characteristics needed to pass the IEC 61646 stability test protocol. In this work, we also reveal a successful approach to control, in a sub-Nernstian way, the energetics of the distribution of the trap states without harming cell stability by means of incorporating NaI in the electrolyte, which shows good compatibility with butyronitrile. These excellent features, in conjunction with the recently developed thiophene-based C106 sensitizer, have enabled us to achieve a champion cell exhibiting 10.0% and even 10.2% power conversion efficiency (PCE) under 100 and 51.2 mW·cm(-2) incident solar radiation intensity, respectively. We reached >95% retention of PCE while displaying as high as 9.1% PCE after 1000 h of 100 mW·cm(-2) light-soaking exposure at 60 °C.     

Molecular rectification: application in dye-sensitized solar cells

A dye-sensitized heterojunction of configuration n-TiO2/PD-CuPC-MV/p-CuSCN (where PD = 3,4-pyridinedicarboxylic acid anchored to TiO2, CuPC = copper(II) phthallocyanine tetrasulfonic acid ionically linked to PD, and MV = Methyl Violet complexed to CuPC) is developed to demonstrate the applicability of molecular rectification to dye-sensitized solar cells as a strategy of suppressing recombination. Short-circuit photocurrent, open-circuit voltage, energy conversion efficiency, and incident photon to photocurrent conversion of this system are higher than that of the heterojunctions of configurations n-TiO2/PD-MV/p-CuSCN, n-TiO/CuPC-MV/p-CuSCN, and n-TiO2/MV/p-CuSCN. The impressively high rectification ratio and the mode of anchorage of CuPC toTiO2 are suggested as the cause of superior photovoltaic action of the cell TiO2/PD-CuPC-MV/p-CuSCN.     

Novel polyene dyes for highly efficient dye-sensitized solar cells

We have developed an efficient and novel polyene-dye-sensitized nanocrystalline TiO2 solar cells producing a 6.8% solar energy-to-electricity conversion efficiency (eta) under AM 1.5 irradiation (100 mW cm(-2)): short-circuit current density (Jsc), 12.9 mA cm(-2), open-circuit photovoltage (Voc), 0.71 V, fill factor (ff), 0.74.     

A highly efficient organic sensitizer for dye-sensitized solar cells

We have synthesized a highly efficient organic dye for a dye-sensitized solar cell; the overall solar-to-energy conversion efficiency was 9.1% at AM 1.5 illumination (100 mW cm(-2)): short-circuit current density (J(sc)) = 18.1 mA cm(-2), open circuit photovoltage (V(oc)) = 743 mV and fill factor (ff) = 0.675.     

Engineering of highly efficient tetrahydroquinoline sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells

Four novel tetrahydroquinoline dyes by inserting isophorone and/or thiophene moieties as π bridge between the electron donating unit of substituted tetrahydroquinoline and the electron withdrawing unit of cyano carboxylic acid have been synthesized and successfully applied to dye-sensitized solar cells. Among them, DSCs sensitized by HYTIC, which shows the simplest molecular structure, exhibit improved efficiency of 7.0%. This by now is the highest efficiency for the reported tetrahydroquinoline sensitizers and comparable to the performance of N719-sensitized solar cells under the conditions employed here.     

A promising heat-induced supramolecular metallogel electrolyte for quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - A series of Fe(III)-based coordination-driven metallogel (MOG) electrolytes are obtained by absorbing liquid electrolytes with MOGs and applied to...     

Contribution from a hole-conducting dye to the photocurrent in solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

The hole transporting medium in solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells can be utilized to harvest sunlight. Herein we demonstrate that a triphenylamine-based dye, used as hole-transporting medium, contributes to the photocurrent in a squaraine-sensitized solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell. Steady-state photoluminescence measurements have been used to distinguish between electron transfer and energy transfer processes leading to energy conversion upon light absorption in the hole-transporting dye.     

Improved charge transport in dye-sensitized solar cells employing viscous non-volatile electrolytes

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) employing a viscous non-volatile electrolyte were prepared by utilizing anatase TiO₂ nanorods (synthesized via oriented attachment) as a photoanode material. One promising way to enhance the photovoltaic performance of DSSCs employing viscous electrolytes is to increase ion conductivity by increasing the salt concentration. This is accompanied by an acceleration of the charge recombination reaction and the limiting of the overall conversion efficiency. The results showed that a TiO₂ nanorod electrode enables more favorable electron transport than a conventional nanoparticle-based electrode due to the improved electron diffusion length and the large intrinsic surface area.     

Ionic liquid crystal-based electrolyte with enhanced charge transport for dye-sensitized solar cells

A room temperature ionic liquid crystal,1-dodecyl-3-ethylimidazolium iodide(C12EImI),and an ionic liquid,1-decyl-3-ethylimidazolium iodide(C10EImI),have been synthesized,characterized and employed as the electrolyte for dye-sensitized solar cells(DSSC).The physicochemical properties show that a smectic A(SmA)phase with a lamellar structure is formed in C12EImI.Both C12EImI and C10EImI have good electrochemical and thermal stability facilitating their use in DSSC.The steady-state voltammograms reveal that the diffusion coefficient of I3–in C12EImI is larger than that in C10EImI,which is attributed to the existence of the SmA phase in C12EImI.Because the iodide species are located between the layers of imidazolium cations in C12EImI,exchange reaction-based diffusion is increased with a consequent increase in,the overall diffusion.The electrochemical impedance spectrum reveals that charge recombination at the dyed TiO2/electrolyte interface of a C12EImI-based DSSC is reduced due to the increase in I3–diffusion,resulting in higher open-circuit voltage.Moreover,both short-circuit current density and fill factor of the C12EImI based DSSC increase,as a result of the increasing transport of I3–in C12EImI.Consequently,the photoelectric conversion efficiency of C12EImI-based DSSC is higher than that of the C10EImI–based DSSC.     

The conducting polymer electrolyte based on polypyrrole-polyvinyl alcohol and its application in low-cost quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

The effect of polypyrrole (PPy) on the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-potassium iodide (KI)-iodine (I₂) polymer electrolytes has been investigated and optimized to use in a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The different weight ratios of PVA: PPy (93: 2, 91: 4, 89: 6, 87: 8, and 85: 10 wt%) polymer electrolytes (PE) were prepared by solution casting. Structural, complex formation and surface roughness of the prepared electrolytes was confirmed by X-ray diffraction, FTIR, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) respectively. Conductivity plots of all polymer films showed increasing trend with temperature and concentration of PPy. The activation energy of the optimized system found to be 0.871 kJ mol^?1. UV-visible spectrum was adopted to characterize the absorption spectra of the material revealed that increase in the absorbance with increasing PPy content and shifting the absorbance maximum towards lower energy. The indirect band gap decreased from 3.78 to 2.14 eV and direct band gap decreased from 3.88 to 2.71 eV. The EIS analyses revealed the lower charge transfer resistance of 3.029 Ω cm² at the interface between CE and PE. The excellent performance was observed in the fabricated DSSCs using PVA (85%)/PPy (10%)/KI (5%)/I₂ polymer electrolyte with a short-circuit current density of 11.071 mA cm^?2, open-circuit voltage of 0.644 V, fill factor of 0.575, and photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 4.09% under the light intensity of 100 mW cm^?2. Hence, the PPy content in polymer electrolyte influences the remarkable performance of low-cost DSSC.     

An iodine-free electrolyte based on ionic liquid polymers for all-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

An ionic liquid polymer, poly (1-alkyl-3-(acryloyloxy)hexylimidazolium iodide), was employed as an iodine-free electrolyte in all-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells with an overall conversion efficiency of 5.29% under AM 1.5 simulated solar light (100 mW cm(-2)) illumination.     

A strategy to design highly efficient porphyrin sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells

We designed highly efficient porphyrin sensitizers with two phenyl groups at meso-positions of the macrocycle bearing two ortho-substituted long alkoxyl chains for dye-sensitized solar cells; the ortho-substituted devices exhibit significantly enhanced photovoltaic performances with the best porphyrin, LD14, showing J(SC) = 19.167 mA cm(-2), V(OC) = 0.736 V, FF = 0.711, and overall power conversion efficiency η = 10.17%.     

A dendron modified ruthenium complex: enhanced open circuit voltage in dye-sensitized solar cells

The novel ruthenium complex RG1, bearing dendritic structures, can act not only as a dye but also as an additive in the electrolytes, leading to slow charge recombination and high open-circuit voltage even without 4-tert-butylpyridine in both iodine and cobalt electrolytes.     

Synthesis and electron-transfer properties of benzimidazole-functionalized ruthenium complexes for highly efficient dye-sensitized solar cells

Novel heteroleptic ruthenium complexes--RD1, RD5, RD10 and RD11--with ligands based on benzimidazole were synthesized and characterized for application to dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC); the remarkable performance of RD5-based DSSC is understood for its superior light-harvesting ability and slower charge-recombination kinetics.     

A highly efficient electric additive for enhancing photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cells

N-cetylpyridinium iodide (N-CPI) as a new electric additive for enhancing photovoltaic performance of the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) was studied. It showed high efficiency for enhancing both the open-circuit voltage and the short-circuit current density of DSSC when the suitable amount of N-CPI as 0.02 M was added in liquid electrolyte. The energy conversion efficiency of DSSC increased from 4.429% to 6.535%, with 47.55% enhancement. Therefore, it is a highly efficient electric additive for DSSC. The intrinsic reason is owing to the special molecular structure of N-CPI, which contains two different polarity groups. As a surfactant, N-CPI could form ordered arrangement in liquid electrolyte, which affects the diffusing ability and the redox reaction of I^?/I ₃ ^? , and further affects the photovoltaic performance of DSSC.     

一种高效染料敏化太阳电池电解质添加剂

报道了一种新型染料敏化太阳电池电解质添加剂——N-十六烷基吡啶碘(N-CPI).往电解质中添加0.02MN-CPI,能同时提高染料敏化太阳电池(DSSC)的短路电流和开路电压,光电转换效率也由4.429%提高到6.535%,增幅高达47.55%,由此可见,N-CPI是一种高效电解质添加剂.N-CPI这种功能来源于其双极性基团的特殊分子结构,这种结构使N-CPI在电解质中如表面活性剂那样形成有序分布,影响I-/I3-的扩散和氧化还原性能,进而影响DSSC的光电性能.     

Preparation of highly ordered TiO2 nanotubes on Ti-foil for dye-sensitized solar cells

TiO₂ nanotube arrays were grown on Ti foil in mixed electrolyte by the anodizing process. TiO₂ nanotube arrays were immersed in the TiCl₄ solution to improve the photocurrent by enhanced charge transfer between TiO₂ and dye molecules on the activity surface. Internal resistance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) was measured by impedance spectroscopy measurements. Backside illuminated DSSC with TiCl₄-treated TiO₂ nanotubes exhibited a conversion efficiency of 1.45% and showed improved electron transfer.