High Performance Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Vacuum-Assisted Thermal Deposition Pt Counter Electrodes

2014 ◽  
Vol 602-603 ◽  
pp. 866-870
Author(s):  
Yan Xiang Wang ◽  
He Dong Jiang ◽  
Jian Sun
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Electrochemical Impedance ◽  
Short Circuit ◽  
Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
Counter Electrodes ◽  
Thermal Deposition ◽  
Dye Sensitized ◽  
Loading Amount

In this work, the vacuum-assisted thermal deposition platinum (Pt) film was prepared and used as a counter electrode (CE) in dye sensitized solar cell (DSC). The films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Electrochemical catalytic activities of the films were also characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The effects of the Pt loading amount on the fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass and titration time on the performance of the DSC were investigated. The optimal performance of the DSC was obtained when using the three-time titration with 1.69 mg/cm2 Pt loading amount vacuum-assisted thermal deposit CE. The DSC showed a high efficiency of 7.20%. The short-circuit current density (Jsc), open circuit voltage (Voc) and fill factor (FF) were 13.79 mA·cm-2, 0.73 V and 0.71, respectively.

scholarly journals There Is a Future for N-Heterocyclic Carbene Iron(II) Dyes in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Improving Performance through Changes in the Electrolyte

Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 4181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariia Karpacheva ◽  
Vanessa Wyss ◽  
Catherine E. Housecroft ◽  
Edwin C. Constable
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Alkyl Chain ◽  
Electrochemical Impedance ◽  
Short Circuit ◽  
Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽  
Short Circuit Current ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
Ion Concentration ◽  
Dye Sensitized ◽  
Sensitized Solar Cells

By systematic tuning of the components of the electrolyte, the performances of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) with an N-heterocyclic carbene iron(II) dye have been significantly improved. The beneficial effects of an increased Li+ ion concentration in the electrolyte lead to photoconversion efficiencies (PCEs) up to 0.66% for fully masked cells (representing 11.8% relative to 100% set for N719) and an external quantum efficiency maximum (EQEmax) up to approximately 25% due to an increased short-circuit current density (JSC). A study of the effects of varying the length of the alkyl chain in 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide ionic liquids (ILs) shows that a longer chain results in an increase in JSC with an overall efficiency up to 0.61% (10.9% relative to N719 set at 100%) on going from n-methyl to n-butyl chain, although an n-hexyl chain leads to no further gain in PCE. The results of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) support the trends in JSC and open-circuit voltage (VOC) parameters. A change in the counterion from I− to [BF4]− for 1-propyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide ionic liquid leads to DSCs with a remarkably high JSC value for an N-heterocyclic carbene iron(II) dye of 4.90 mA cm−2, but a low VOC of 244 mV. Our investigations have shown that an increased concentration of Li+ in combination with an optimized alkyl chain length in the 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide IL in the electrolyte leads to iron(II)-sensitized DSC performances comparable with those of containing some copper(I)-based dyes.

scholarly journals Trap State and Charge Recombination in Nanocrystalline Passivized Conductive and Photoelectrode Interface of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell

Coatings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siti Nur Azella Zaine ◽  
Norani Muti Mohamed ◽  
Mehboob Khatani ◽  
Adel Eskandar Samsudin ◽  
Muhammad Umair Shahid
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Short Circuit ◽  
Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
Passivation Layer ◽  
Electron Recombination ◽  
Nanocrystalline Tio2 ◽  
Photovoltaic Properties ◽  
Dye Sensitized ◽  
Overall Performance

The dynamic competition between electron generation and recombination was found to be a bottleneck restricting the development of high-performance dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Introducing a passivation layer on the surface of the TiO2 photoelectrode material plays a crucial role in separating the charge by preventing the recombination of photogenerated electrons with the oxidized species. This study aims to understand in detail the kinetics of the electron recombination process of a DSSC fabricated with a conductive substrate and photoelectrode film, both passivized with a layer of nanocrystalline TiO2. Interestingly, the coating, which acted as a passivation layer, suppressed the back-electron transfer and improved the overall performance of the integrated DSSC. The passivation layer reduced the exposed site of the fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)–electrolyte interface, thereby reducing the dark current phenomenon. In addition, the presence of the passivation layer reduced the rate of electron recombination related to the surface state recombination, as well as the trapping/de-trapping phenomenon. The photovoltaic properties of the nanocrystalline-coated DSSC, such as short-circuit current, open-circuit voltage, and fill factor, showed significant improvement compared to the un-coated photoelectrode film. The overall performance efficiency improved by about 22% compared to the un-coated photoelectrode-based DSSC.

scholarly journals Impedance Spectroscopic Investigation of the Degraded Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell due to Ageing

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parth Bhatt ◽  
Kavita Pandey ◽  
Pankaj Yadav ◽  
Brijesh Tripathi ◽  
Manoj Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Current Density ◽  
Open Circuit Voltage ◽  
Electrochemical Impedance ◽  
Short Circuit ◽  
Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽  
Electrical Characterization ◽  
Short Circuit Current ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
Conduction Band Edge ◽  
Dye Sensitized

This paper investigates the effect of ageing on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The electrical characterization of fresh and degraded DSCs is done under AM1.5G spectrum and the current density-voltage (J-V) characteristics are analyzed. Short circuit current density (JSC) decreases significantly whereas a noticeable increase in open circuit voltage is observed. These results have been further investigated electroanalytically using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). An increase in net resistance results in a lower JSC for the degraded DSC. This decrease in current is mainly due to degradation of TiO2-dye interface, which is observed from light and dark J-V characteristics and is further confirmed by EIS measurements. A reduction in the chemical capacitance of the degraded DSC is observed, which is responsible for the shifting of Fermi level with respect to conduction band edge that further results in an increase of open circuit voltage for the degraded DSC. It is also confirmed from EIS that the degradation leads to a better contact formation between the electrolyte and Pt electrode, which improves the fill factor of the DSC. But the recombination throughout the DSC is found to increase along with degradation. This study suggests that the DSC should be used under low illumination conditions and around room temperature for a longer life.

Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Novel Mixed Dyes

2011 ◽  
Vol 383-390 ◽  
pp. 5510-5515
Author(s):  
Tien Tsan Hung
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Electrochemical Impedance ◽  
Short Circuit ◽  
Sol Gel ◽  
Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
Membrane Electrode ◽  
Dye Sensitized ◽  
Phthalocyanine Derivative ◽  
Sensitized Solar Cells

Novel phthalocyanine derivative and azo derivative have been synthesized as photosensitizers for the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). We used sol-gel method to prepare the titanium oxide (TiO2) membrane electrode of the DSSCs. The crystalline phase and surface morphology of TiO2 were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) to investigate the effects of processing parameters on the films characteristic, microstructure and thickness. The performance of DSSCs was characterized by using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and current-voltage curve analysis. The sensitizing properties of phthalocyanine derivative, azo derivative and mixed dyes were studied, and it was found that the cell consisted of mixed dyes generated the highest power conversion efficiency () of 2.3 %, short circuit photocurrent density (Jsc) of 13.6 mA cm-2, open circuit photovoltage (Voc) of 0.46 V and fill factor (FF) of 0.37 under simulated AM 1.5 irradiation (100 mW cm-2) with a active area of 0.25 cm2.

Study on the Change in Photovoltage by Control of Cell Gap in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

2010 ◽  
Vol 132 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaehyeon Lee ◽  
Weekyung Kang ◽  
Min Jae Ko ◽  
Kyoungkon Kim ◽  
Nam-Gyu Park
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Electrochemical Impedance ◽  
Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽  
Energy Conversion Efficiency ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
Electrolyte System ◽  
Counter Electrodes ◽  
Dye Sensitized ◽  
Transient Photovoltage ◽  
Sensitized Solar Cells

Photo-electrochemical properties of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were investigated by changing the gap between working and counter electrodes. The open-circuit voltage (VOC) of DSSCs was significantly increased from 616 mV to 776 mV by about 26% with 1-methyl-3-butyl imidazolium iodide (BMII) based electrolyte and from 428 mV to 513 mV by 20% with lithium iodide (LiI) based electrolyte as the cell gap increased from 16 μm to 224 μm. From the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, it was found that the resistance of the electrolyte was increased as the cell gap widened. This resulted in the reduction in the dark current associated with the VOC enhancement. The transient photovoltage spectroscopic measurement confirmed that the time constant for charge recombination between TiO2 and electrolyte became slower as the cell gap of the DSSC with LiI electrolyte increased, which could be an additional reason for the VOC enhancement. The optimal cell gap was determined to be around 31.3 μm for the BMII electrolyte system, and around 75.5 μm for the LiI electrolyte system in terms of the energy-conversion efficiency.

scholarly journals Cobalt and Carbon Complex as Counter Electrodes in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Photonics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 166
Author(s):  
Chi-Feng Lin ◽  
Ting-Hsuan Hsieh ◽  
Yu-Chen Chou ◽  
Pin-Hung Chen ◽  
Ci-Wun Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Conductivity ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Short Circuit ◽  
Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽  
Short Circuit Current ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
Counter Electrodes ◽  
Dye Sensitized ◽  
Thermal Sintering ◽  
Sensitized Solar Cells

We developed cobalt and carbon complex materials as counter electrodes (CEs) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) to replace conventional platinum (Pt) CEs. Co12 and Co15, both of which are basic cobalt derivatives, showed good redox potential with a suitable open-circuit voltage (VOC); however, their poor electrical conductivity engendered a low short-circuit current (JSC) and fill factor (FF). Mixing them with carbon black (CB) improved the electrical conductivity of the CE; in particular, JSC and FF were considerably improved. Further improvement was achieved by combining cobalt derivatives and CB through thermal sintering to produce a novel CoCB material as a CE. CoCB had good electrical conductivity and electrocatalytic capability, and this further enhanced both JSC and VOC. The optimized device exhibited a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.44%, which was higher than the value of 7.16% for a device with a conventional Pt CE. The conductivity of CoCB could be further increased by mixing it with PEDOT:PSS, a conducting polymer. The device’s JSC increased to 18.65 mA/cm2, which was considerably higher than the value of 14.24 mA/cm2 for the device with Pt CEs. The results demonstrate the potential of the cobalt and carbon complex as a CE for DSSCs.

scholarly journals Self-Assembly Synthesis of the MoS2/PtCo Alloy Counter Electrodes for High-Efficiency and Stable Low-Cost Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Nanomaterials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1725 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhi Zeng ◽  
Dongbo Wang ◽  
Jinzhong Wang ◽  
Shujie Jiao ◽  
Yuewu Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Cells ◽  
Electrocatalytic Activity ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Electrochemical Impedance ◽  
Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽  
Counter Electrodes ◽  
Transfer Resistance ◽  
Dye Sensitized ◽  
Sensitized Solar Cells ◽  
Ptco Alloy

In this work, MoS2 microspheres/PtCo-alloy nanoparticles (MoS2/PtCo-alloy NPs) were composited via a novel and facile process which MoS2 is functionalized by poly (N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) (PVP) and self-assembled with PtCo-alloy NPs. This new composite shows excellent electrocatalytic activity and great potential for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) as a counter electrode (CE) material. Benefiting from heterostructure and synergistic effects, the MoS2/PtCo-alloy NPs exhibit high electrocatalytic activity, low charge-transfer resistance and stability in the cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) test. Meanwhile, a high power-conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.46% is achieved in DSSCs with MoS2/PtCo-alloy NP CEs, which are comparable to traditional Pt CEs (8.45%). This novel composite provides a new high-performance, stable and cheap choice for CEs in DSSCs.

Effects of TiO2 Blocking Layer on Photovoltaic Characteristics of TiO2/Nb2O5 Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

MRS Advances ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (20) ◽  
pp. 1049-1058
Author(s):  
Brian O. Owino ◽  
Francis W. Nyongesa ◽  
Alex A. Ogacho ◽  
Bernard O. Aduda ◽  
Benjamin V. Odari
Keyword(s):  
Electrochemical Impedance ◽  
Spray Pyrolysis Technique ◽  
Short Circuit ◽  
Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽  
Short Circuit Current ◽  
Short Circuit Current Density ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
Compact Layer ◽  
Dye Sensitized ◽  
Photovoltaic Characteristics

ABSTRACTThis study reports on the effect of introducing TiO2 compact layer on the photovoltaic characteristics of TiO2/Nb2O5 composite dye sensitized solar cell. The compact layer was deposited by spray pyrolysis technique. It was observed that introduction of 60 nm thick compact layer improved the short circuit current density Jsc ,Open circuit voltage Voc, and efficiency of the cell from 4.9 mA/cm2 to 8.2 mA/cm2, 6.8×10-1 V to 7.2×10-1 V and 1.9 % to 3.4 % respectively compared to traditional cell prepared without compact layer. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy confirmed an increase in recombination resistance from 5.5×101 Ω.cm2 for bare DSSC to 9.0×101 Ω.cm2 for DSSC with compact layer thereby improving electron lifetime of the cells from 2.5×10-4 s to 386.9×10-4 s.

scholarly journals Electrolyte tuning in dye-sensitized solar cells with N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) iron(II) sensitizers

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 3069-3078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariia Karpacheva ◽  
Catherine E Housecroft ◽  
Edwin C Constable
Keyword(s):  
Ionic Liquid ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Electrochemical Impedance ◽  
Short Circuit ◽  
Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽  
Short Circuit Current ◽  
Short Circuit Current Density ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
Dye Sensitized ◽  
Sensitized Solar Cells

We demonstrate that the performances of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) sensitized with a previously reported N-heterocyclic carbene iron(II) dye in the presence of chenodeoxycholic acid co-adsorbant, can be considerably improved by altering the composition of the electrolyte while retaining an I−/I3 − redox shuttle. Critical factors are the solvent, presence of ionic liquid, and the use of the additives 1-methylbenzimidazole (MBI) and 4-tert-butylpyridine (TBP). For the electrolyte solvent, 3-methoxypropionitrile (MPN) is preferable to acetonitrile, leading to a higher short-circuit current density (J SC) with little change in the open-circuit voltage (V OC). For electrolytes containing MPN, an ionic liquid and MBI (0.5 M), DSC performance depended on the ionic liquid with 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluoridophosphate (EMIMPF) > 1,2-dimethyl-3-propylimidazolium iodide (DMPII) > 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide (BMII) ≈ 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluoridophosphate (BMIMPF). Omitting the MBI leads to a significant improvement in J SC when the ionic liquid is DMPII, BMII or BMIMPF, but with EMIMPF the removal of the MBI additive results in a dramatic decrease in V OC (542 to 42 mV). For electrolytes containing MPN and DMPII, the effects of altering the MBI concentration have also been investigated. Although the addition of TBP improves V OC, it causes significant decreases in J SC. The best performing DSCs with the NHC-iron(II) dye employ an I−/I3 −-based electrolyte with MPN as solvent, DMPII ionic liquid (0.6 M) with no or 0.01 M MBI; values of J SC = 2.31 to 2.78 mA cm−2, V OC = 292 to 374 mV have been achieved giving η in the range of 0.47 to 0.57% which represents 7.8 to 9.3% relative to an N719 reference DSC set at 100%. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy has been used to understand the role of the MBI additive in the electrolytes.

High-Efficiency Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Based on ZnO Nanorod Arrays Electrode

2006 ◽  
Vol 974 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patcharee Charoensirithavorn ◽  
Susumu Yoshikawa
Keyword(s):  
High Efficiency ◽  
Cell Structure ◽  
Short Circuit ◽  
Transparent Conducting Oxide ◽  
Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
Zno Nanorod ◽  
Nanorod Arrays ◽  
Zno Nanorod Arrays ◽  
Dye Sensitized

ABSTRACTWe have fabricated transparent ZnO nanorod arrays on the fluorine-doped SnO2 transparent conducting oxide (FTO) glass substrates and used them as the wide band gap semiconductor in dye-sensitized solar cells. Our objectives are to introduce and demonstrate new possibilities in designing the semiconductor morphology. The best performance with this cell structure produced an open circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.64 mV, a short circuit current density (Jsc) of 5.37 mA/cm2, a fill factor (FF) of 0.49, and a conversion efficiency (η) of 1.69 %, primarily limited by the surface area of the nanorod array.

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