Efficiency and Stability Enhancement of Quasi-Solid-State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on PEO Composite Polymer Blend Electrolytes

The composite polymer electrolyte consisting of poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO), KI, I2 and TiO2 was blended with low molecular weight poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) and (PEG-MA)-Ru. The SEM images of these blended PEO electrolytes showed better dispersion of materials and the electrochemical impedance spectroscopic study showed an increase in conductivity compared to that of composite PEO electrolyte. These results were consistent with enhanced efficiency of DSSCs using these blended PEO electrolytes. The energy conversion efficiencies of DSSCs using composite PEO-PEG, PEO-(PEG-MA)-Ru and PEO-PEG-(PEG-MA)-Ru polymer blend electrolytes were 5.47, 5.05 and 5.28, respectively compared to 4.99 of DSSC using composite PEO electrolyte. The long-term storage of unsealed DSSCs at room temperature for 93 days demonstrated that the cell efficiency gradually decreased to 0.49-1.88%. DSSCs assembled with composite polymer blend electrolyte showed a slower decrease than that of DSSC using composite PEO electrolyte. It was found that the composite PEO-PEG-(PEG-MA)-Ru polymer blend electrolyte of 1.0:0.1:0.1 weight ratio gave the best improvement in stability of DSSCs.

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Enhanced photovoltaic performance of quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells by incorporating a quaternized ammonium salt into poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) composite polymer electrolyte

Electrochimica Acta ◽

10.1016/j.electacta.2013.07.054 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 108 ◽

pp. 757-762 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Yanzheng Cui ◽

Xueni Zhang ◽

Jiangwei Feng ◽

Jing Zhang ◽

Yuejin Zhu

Keyword(s):

Vinylidene Fluoride ◽

Photovoltaic Performance ◽

Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽

Composite Polymer Electrolyte ◽

Composite Polymer ◽

Dye Sensitized ◽

Poly Vinylidene Fluoride ◽

Poly Ethylene Oxide ◽

Poly Ethylene ◽

Sensitized Solar Cells

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Effect of Deposition Potential and Bath Temperature on One-Step Electrochemical Synthesis of One and Two Dimensional Nanostructured ZnO Thin Films on Fluorine Doped Tin Oxide Substrates

Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology ◽

10.1166/jnn.2019.16636 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (11) ◽

pp. 7014-7025 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

T. Marimuthu ◽

N. Anandhan ◽

R. Thangamuthu ◽

S. Surya ◽

R. Panneerselvam ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscope ◽

Film Thickness ◽

Tin Oxide ◽

Electrochemical Impedance ◽

Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽

Deposition Potential ◽

Zno Films ◽

Zinc Hydroxide ◽

Sem Images ◽

Zinc Deposition

Different zinc oxide (ZnO) morphologies such as platelets, nanowalls and nanorods were electrochemically synthesized on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates by varying the deposition potentials and bath temperatures, respectively. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) curves reveal that ZnO deposition potentials are decreased as the bath temperatures are increased. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and transmission electron microscope (TEM) images confirm that the synthesized ZnO nanostructures are hexagonal wurtzite structure. The XRD results reveal that the crystallinity of the films is increased when ZnO deposition potentials and temperatures are increased. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) images display platelets, nanowalls and nanorods structures for films synthesized -1.1 V, -1.2 V and -1.3 V respectively. The increase in deposition potential not only increases the growth rate of ZnO with metallic zinc deposition, but also decreases zinc hydroxide chloride hydrate. Fourier transform infrared microscope (FTIR) spectra confirm that the formation of zinc hydroxide (Zn(OH)2) is decreased as the bath temperatures are increased from 30 to 70 °C. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra depict that the crystal quality of the ZnO films are notably improved as the bath temperatures are increased. The film thickness is increased as the deposition potentials and bath temperatures are increased. The dye absorbance is increased with respect to the film thickness. The efficiencies of dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) fabricated with diverse morphologies such as platelets, nanowalls and nanorods are found to be 0.10, 0.49 and 0.47%, respectively. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) spectra reveal that the charge transfer recombination resistance (Rrec) is continuously decreased as metal zinc deposition is increased in ZnO films with increase in deposition potentials.

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