Titanium Dioxide-Infused Hybrid Electrolytes Based on Ionic Liquids Containing Protic Cation: Effect of Solute Concentration on the Electrochemical and Interfacial Properties

2021 ◽  
Vol 897 ◽  
pp. 85-93
Author(s):  
Jonathan Patricio ◽  
Marco Laurence Budlayan ◽  
Susan Arco
Keyword(s):  
Surface Tension ◽  
Titanium Dioxide ◽  
Ionic Liquids ◽  
Energy Levels ◽  
Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽  
Interfacial Properties ◽  
Solute Concentration ◽  
Relative Energy ◽  
Electrochemical Stability ◽  
Device Fabrication

The efficiency of batteries, supercapacitors, and dye-sensitized solar cells for energy storage and harvesting processes depends on the relative energy levels and the charge transfer kinetics at the electrode/electrolyte interface. Owing to their distinctively tunable properties including non-volatility, low flammability, wide electrochemical stability, inherent conductivity, and high thermal stability, developing low viscosity ionic liquids (ILs) is vital for energy device fabrication. In this work, 1-methylimidazolium ILs were synthesized by a one-step sonochemical solventless reaction and were characterized using FT-IR, 1H-NMR, and 13C-NMR spectroscopy to confirm their structure. Hybrid electrolytes based on the 1-methylimidazolium chloride ([MIM]Cl) infused with titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles at varying concentrations were prepared, and the effect of solute concentration on their electrochemical and interfacial properties was investigated. Ionic conductivity results revealed that the as-prepared [MIM]Cl-TiO2-0.5% hybrid electrolytes exhibited a higher conductivity in comparison with neat [MIM]Cl. Furthermore, cyclic voltammetry was used to determine their electrochemical stability window and revealed that a wide ESW of 3.56 ± 0.01 V was also obtained by [MIM]Cl-TiO2-0.5% attributed to the enhanced surface tension of 35.92 ± 0.07 mN/m due to the addition of TiO2 particles. This observation was validated by the generated pendant drop images showing the remarkable correlation of solute concentration with surface tension and ESW of the hybrid electrolytes. The utilization of these metal oxide-infused solvent-free IL as a substitute for aqueous-and organic-based electrolytes can address issues on electrochemical stability and provide insight in suppressing self-discharge processes, especially when used at higher potentials.

scholarly journals Characteristics of curcumin dye used as a sensitizer in dye-sensitized solar cells

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-104
Author(s):  
Stefan Ilic ◽  
Vesna Paunovic
Keyword(s):  
Titanium Dioxide ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
Energy Levels ◽  
Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽  
Simulation Models ◽  
Electron Transition ◽  
Dye Sensitized ◽  
Visible Part ◽  
Titanium Dioxide Surface ◽  
Sensitized Solar Cells

Dye-sensitized solar cells are the closest mankind has come to replicating nature?s photosynthesis. The type of a dye influences the efficiency of these cells. In this paper we studied curcumin dye as a sensitizer in dye-sensitized solar cells and compared it with most often used cyanidin. The results have shown that curcumin has higher efficiency and higher absorption in the visible part of the spectrum compared to cyanidin. Simulation models of dye molecules, curcumin and cyanidin, are deprotonated upon adsorption on the titanium dioxide surface. The energy levels obtained from the calculation indicate a higher probability of electron transition from molecule to titanium dioxide surface in case of curcumin than in case of cyanidin. Based on these results, we concluded that curcumin dye has better properties as sensitizer in dye-sensitized solar cells.

scholarly journals Comparison of the Performances of Different Computational Methods to Calculate the Electrochemical Stability of Selected Ionic Liquids

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 3221
Author(s):  
Annalisa Paolone ◽  
Sergio Brutti
Keyword(s):  
Ionic Liquids ◽  
Density Functional ◽  
Quantitative Agreement ◽  
Electrochemical Stability ◽  
Functional Theory ◽  
Molecular Systems ◽  
Reduction Potentials ◽  
Adiabatic Transitions ◽  
Alkyl Ammonium ◽  
Transition Scheme

The electrochemical stability windows (ESW) of selected ionic liquids have been calculated by comparing different computational approaches previously suggested in the literature. The molecular systems under study are based on di-alkyl imidazolium and tetra-alkyl ammonium cations coupled with two different imide anions (namely, bis-fluorosulfonyl imide and bis-trifluoromethyl sulfonyl imide), for which an experimental investigation of the ESW is available. Thermodynamic oxidation and reduction potentials have here been estimated by different models based on calculations either on single ions or on ionic couples. Various Density Functional Theory (DFT) functionals (MP2, B3LYP, B3LYP including a polarizable medium and empirical dispersion forces) were exploited. Both vertical and adiabatic transitions between the starting states and the oxidized or reduced states were considered. The approach based on calculations on ionic couples is not able to reproduce the experimental data, whatever the used DFT functional. The best quantitative agreement is obtained by calculations on single ions when the MP2 functional in vacuum is considered and the transitions between differently charged states are vertical (purely electronic without the relaxation of the structure). The B3LYP functional underestimates the ESW. The inclusion of a polar medium excessively widens the ESW, while a large shrinkage of the ESW is obtained by adopting an adiabatic transition scheme instead of a vertical transition one.

Benzimidazolyl functionalized ionic liquids as an additive for high performance dye-sensitized solar cells

2011 ◽  
Vol 47 (41) ◽  
pp. 11516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Zhao ◽  
Feng Yan ◽  
Lihua Qiu ◽  
Yueguang Zhang ◽  
Xiaojian Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ionic Liquids ◽  
Solar Cells ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽  
Dye Sensitized ◽  
Sensitized Solar Cells

Surface tension measurements with validated accuracy for four 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium based ionic liquids

2010 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 323-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaroslav Klomfar ◽  
Monika Součková ◽  
Jaroslav Pátek
Keyword(s):  
Surface Tension ◽  
Ionic Liquids

Instant Microwave Synthesis of Titania Nanoflowers for Application in DSSCs

2015 ◽  
Vol 1119 ◽  
pp. 14-18
Author(s):  
Sofia Javed ◽  
Muhammad Aftab Akram ◽  
Mohammad Mujahid
Keyword(s):  
Titanium Dioxide ◽  
Hydrofluoric Acid ◽  
Sodium Hydroxide Solution ◽  
Dye Sensitized Solar Cells ◽  
Aqueous Sodium Hydroxide ◽  
Environment Friendly ◽  
Aqueous Sodium Hydroxide Solution ◽  
Dye Sensitized ◽  
Aqueous Conditions ◽  
Sensitized Solar Cells

Nanoflowers are desirable in light driven applications like Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) due to their large surface area and greater light absorption capabilities. An instant, simple, cheap and environment friendly method of preparing titanium dioxide nanoflowers is presented. The nanoflowers are produced in a time as short as 5 minutes in aqueous conditions without the use of hazardous hydrofluoric acid or organic surfactants at 1 atm. pressure and low temperature of 100°C. Titanium dioxide commercial nanopowders are treated with microwaves in an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution for small durations. The resulting powders are annealed at 450°C in air and characterization is performed using XRD, SEM and Raman spectroscopy.

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