Co-sensitization with near-IR absorbing cyanine dye to improve photoelectric conversion of dye-sensitized solar cells

Two carboxylated cyanine dyes, 3-butyl-2-[3-(1-butyl-5-carboxy-1,3-dihydro-3,3-dimethyl-2H-indol-2-ylidene)-1-propen-1-yl]-1,1-dimethyl-7-[1-[2-[6-(4-morpholinyl)-1,3-dioxo-1H-benz[de]isoquinolin-2(3H)-yl]ethyl]-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl]-1H-Benz[e]indolium iodide (A), 2-[5-(1-butyl-5-carboxy-1,3-dihydro-3,3-dimethyl-2H-indol-2-ylidene)-1,3-pentadienyl]-3-ethyl-1,1-dimethyl-1H-Benz[e]indolium iodide (B), have been prepared and their photophysical and electrochemical properties have been investigated. A, B and their mixtures (AB) were used as sensitizers in nanocrystalline TiO₂ solar cells to improve photoelectric conversion efficiency. It was found that the solar cell sensitized with A3B1 (molar ratio: A:B = 3:1) generated a high power conversion efficiency of 3.0% under AM1.5G illumination (100 mW cm⁻²), indicating that co-sensitization is a promising method to improve the photoelectrical properties of dye-sensitized solar cells.     

碳纳米复合对电极染料敏化太阳能电池的电化学性能

在染料敏化太阳能电池(DSCs)碳对电极中添加多壁碳纳米管,制作碳纳米复合对电极。通过循环伏安法研究复合电极中碳纳米管对I3?/I?氧化还原行为的影响。采用电化学阻抗谱表征,比较纳米炭黑、石墨鳞片、碳纳米管、纳米炭黑-纳米碳管复合材料对碳电极/电解质界面的影响。结果表明:添加纳米碳管后,电极的催化还原电位降低,电流密度增大;碳纳米管的加入使电极表面催化活性点增多,碳电极与电解液的界面电势差减少。光伏性能测试表明,添加10%(质量分数)的碳纳米管的DSCs的开路电压提高了17.9%,短路电流提高了24.1%,填充因子提高了14.4%。     

Synthesis and characterization of triphenylamine-based organic dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells

We synthesized three organic dyes (DYE 1, DYE 2, and DYE 3) containing triphenylamine (TPA) moieties as electron donors and cyanoacrylic acid moieties as electron acceptors, designed at the molecular level, and developed them for use in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Among all the dyes, DYE 2 exhibited the highest overall solar-energy-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 4.06% with a short-circuit photocurrent density of 11.15 mA cm^?2, an open-circuit voltage of 0.64 V, and a fill factor of 0.57 under AM 1.5 irradiation with 100 mW cm^?2 simulated sunlight. The results indicate that the organic dyes are promising in the development of DSSC.     

Solvothermal growth of Zn2SnO4 for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells

Zn2SnO4 plates,particles and spheres are suc-cessfully prepared via a facile synthesis way by carefully adjusting the solvothermal conditions,which are further ...     

D-π-A organic dyes with carbazole as donor for dye-sensitized solar cells

Two donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A) organic dyes with carbazole as donor, phenylethynyl, thienylethynyl as π-spacers and cyanoacrylic acid as acceptor, have been synthesized and characterized. These dyes exhibit charge transfer character in the ground and excited states as supported by the UV–vis and fluorescence studies. They also show interesting electrochemical properties. DFT and TDDFT studies reveal that large intramolecular charge transfer takes place from the HOMO to LUMO, though the donor carbazole is twisted (～51°) with respect to the π-conjugated spacer and acceptors with an idea of testing the dyes as sensitizers for DSSC. The DSSC devices were fabricated with these dyes by using redox electrolyte in a nonvolatile methoxypropionitrile solvent. The efficiency of the cells, short circuit current density, J_sc, and open circuit photovoltage, V_oc, and fill factor, FF, has been obtained for the two molecules. Calculations based on DFT plane wave method reveal the strong binding of the dyes on the surface of TiO₂ (1 0 1) surface. It is concluded that these dyes can play the role of sensitizers in DSSC.     

Organic photosensitizers with N-carboxymethyl pyridinium acceptor/anchoring group for dye-sensitized solar cells

Four new organic dyes with N-carboxymethyl pyridinium as electron acceptors/anchoring groups were designed and synthesized. The optical and electrochemical properties were characterized by UV–vis, fluorescence spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The absorption spectra of the four pyridinium dyes were in the range of 450–650 nm. The dye with triphenylamine as the electron donor shows a solar-energy-to-electricity conversion efficiency (η) of 2.33% in comparison with the reference Ru-complex (N719 dye) with a η value of 5.45% under the same experimental conditions. The dye with phenoxazine as the electron donor gives broad IPCE spectra in the range of 400–750 nm. All these new dyes are simple in structure, very easy to synthesize, and gives high V_oc.     

Novel bilayer structure ZnO based photoanode for enhancing conversion efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cells

ZnO film with a novel bilayer structure, which consists of ZnO nanowire (ZnO NW) arrays as underlayer and polydisperse ZnO nanocrystallite aggregates (ZnO NCAs) as overlayer, is fabricated and studied as dye-sensitized solar-cell (DSSC) photoanode. Results indicate that such a configuration of the ZnO nanocrystallite aggregates on the ZnO nanowire arrays (ZnO-(NCAs/NWs)) can significantly improve the efficiency of the DSSC due to its fast electron transport, relatively high surface area and enhanced light-scattering capability. The short-circuit current density (J_sc) and the energy-conversion efficiency (η) of the DSSC based on the ZnO-(NCAs/NWs) photoanode are estimated and the values are 9.19 mA cm⁻² and 3.02%, respectively, which are much better than those of the cells formed only by the ZnO NWs (J_sc = 4.02 mA cm⁻², η = 1.04%) or the ZnO NCAs (J_sc = 7.14 mA cm⁻², η = 2.56%) photoanode. Moreover, the electron transport properties of the DSSC based on the ZnO-(NCAs/NWs) photoanode are also discussed.     

A phenylenevinylene copolymer with perylene bisimde units as organic sensitizer for dye-sensitized solar cells

An alternating phenylenevinylene copolymer P with perylene bisimide units has been used as organic sensitizer to fabricate dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on porous and TiCl₄ modified TiO₂ photoelectrodes. As a consequence of the compact layer formed by TiCl₄ treatment to the porous TiO₂ thin film layer, an efficient electron network was formed. Dark current measurements and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) suggested that modified photoelectrode significantly reduced the recombination rate of electrons with redox couple in the electrolyte due to the reduced bare FTO surface and longer electron lifetime as compared to the porous TiO₂ photoelectrode. The power conversion efficiency of DSSCs utilizing this copolymer as sensitizer is about 2.60% and 3.98% with porous and modified TiO₂ photoelectrodes, respectively.     

Effects of anchoring groups in multi-anchoring organic dyes with thiophene bridge for dye-sensitized solar cells

Organic photo-sensitizers were designed and synthesized based on a phenothiazine framework containing single- and double-electron acceptors that were bridged with thiophene for the dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The optimized geometries were determined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations to estimate the photovoltaic properties of the dyes in the design stage. The organic dye with the double electron acceptors exhibited a better light absorption at long wavelength and an effective electron extraction pathway from the electron donor to the TiO₂ surface, leading to an improved short-circuit current (11.6 mA cm^?2), compared with that of the dye with the single electron acceptor (10.2 mA cm^?2) and the conventional N3 Ru-dye (10.4 mA cm^?2). Contrarily, the open-circuit voltage of the organic dye with the double electron acceptors decreased because the additional protonated carboxylic groups caused a positive shift in the Fermi level of TiO₂.     

CNT/PEDOT core/shell nanostructures as a counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

CNT/PEDOT nanostructures composed of carbon nanotube (CNT) cores and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) shells were synthesized by chemical oxidative polymerization of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) using FeCl₃ and dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid (DBSA) as the oxidant and surfactant, respectively. The resulting CNT/PEDOT nanostructures had a PEDOT layer thickness of 2–5 nm that exhibited not only higher polymerization yield but also enhanced thermal stability and electrical conductivity relative to pure PEDOT. N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)-based CNT/PEDOT paste containing polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as a binder was painted directly onto fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass for use as a counter electrode (CE) material in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). While DSSCs made of pure CNT and PEDOT CE exhibited power conversion efficiencies of ～3.88% and 4.32% under standard AM 1.5 sunlight illumination, respectively, the cell efficiency was enhanced to ～4.62% with the CNT/PEDOT CE. This enhancement was due to the improved fill factor of the CNT/PEDOT-based DSSC realized by the increased electrical conductivity of the CNT/PEDOT composite.     

Synthesis and photovoltaic performance of new diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells

Two new metal-free organic dyes (DPP-I and DPP-II) with diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) core were designed and synthesized, in which triphenylamine or N,N-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)benzenamine moieties was used as the electron donor, DPP units as the π-conjugated bridge, and carboxylic acid group as the electron acceptor. Photophysical and electrochemical properties of two dyes were investigated by UV–vis spectrometry and cyclic voltammetry. Electrochemical measurement data indicate that the tuning of the HOMO and LUMO energy levels can be conveniently accomplished by alternating the donor moiety. The DSSC based on dye DPP-I showed better photovoltaic performance: a maximum monochromatic incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) of 80.6% corresponding to an overall conversion efficiency of 2.68%. Although the power conversion efficiencies are not so high, this work explores new donor–π-accepter–π-donor models and the effects of molecular design on optical properties.     

Gel electrolytes containing several kinds of particles used in quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

Composite gel electrolytes containing several kinds of particles used as the quasi-solid-state electrolytes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were reported. Mesoporous particles (MCM-41) with unique structures composed of ordered nanochannels were served as a new kind of gelator for quasi-solid-state electrolytes. MCM-41, hydrophobic fumed silica Aerosil R972 and TiO2 nanopatricles P25 were dispersed into gel electrolytes respectively. The solar energy-to-electricity conversion efficiency of these cells is 4.65%, 6.85% and 5.05% respectively under 30 mW·cm-2 illumination. The preparation methods and the particles sizes exert an influence on the performance of corresponding solar cells. Owing to unique pore structures and high specific BET surface area, mesoporous silica MCM-41 was expected to have the potential to afford conducting nanochannels for redox couple diffusion.     

Effects of surface-modified photoelectrode on the power conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells

The effects of Na₂SO₄ as a surface modification material on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were studied. The surfaces of TiO₂ films were firstly modified with aqueous Na₂SO₄ solution by a dip coating process, and then the resulting electrode was applied to the photoelectrode of a DSSC. The DSSC with the Na₂SO₄-modified photoelectrode had a power conversion efficiency of 9.01% compared with that (7.97%) of the reference cell, which corresponds to an increase of about 13.0% in the efficiency due to an enhancement in short-circuit current (J _sc ) and open-circuit voltage (V _oc ). A series of measurements such as UV-visible absorption, electrochemical impedance, incident photon to current conversion (IPCE) efficiency and dark current revealed that incorporation of Na₂SO₄ onto the TiO₂ film led to an increase of dye adsorption and a longer lifetime of electrons injected from dyes to the TiO₂ electrodes, resulting in the improvement in both J _sc and V _oc , compared to those of a reference device without surface modification.     

Micro-mountain and nano-forest pancake structure of Nb2O5 with surface nanowires for dye-sensitized solar cells

Niobium oxide produced by an anodization process for application in a high-efficiency dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) has been reported. In order to increase the energy conversion efficiency of the cell, we demonstrated niobium oxide micro-mountain and nano-forest pancake structures that contained nanowires on the surface. The increase in efficiency is attributed to the significantly enhanced surface area, which allows for more dye loading and light harvesting, as well as the reduced charge recombination, which provides direct conduction pathways along the crystalline Nb₂O₅ micro-mountain structures with nanowires. We observed that the photovoltaic performance of the Nb₂O₅ DSSC increased from 1.03% to 3.35% when the oxide thickness was increased from 9.3 μm to 27.7 μm. Since the anodization process is very cheap and takes place at low temperatures, it has substantial potential for the further development of DSSCs with metal-oxide nano-materials. Anodized oxide advantage is that essentially any form of a niobium surface can be treated in a quick and low-cost approach with Nb₂O₅ coating.     

Facile synthesis of ZnO nanobullets/nanoflakes and their applications to dye-sensitized solar cells

In this paper we reported a successful synthesis of ZnO nanobullets/nanoflakes by a simple hydro/solvothermal method employing a mixture of water/ethylene glycol as the solvent, and zinc acetate as the zinc source. The final products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Raman scattering and photofluorescence spectra of the products were also investigated. ZnO with both nanobullets and nanoflakes nanostructures had been comparably studied as active photoanodes in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) system, and the overall light-to-energy conversion efficiency of 1.93% has been achieved for nanobullets based DSSC, while that for ZnO nanoflakes based DSSC has been raised up to 3.64%.     

Highly efficient and stable dye-sensitized solar cells from adding low melting point glass frits

TiO₂ films were modified by adding a low melting point glass frit as a light scattering particle and applied to an anode electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) to enhance the interconnection between TiO₂ and fluorine doped transparent oxide. The optical properties, photovoltaic properties and microstructures of the photo electrodes were examined to determine the role of the low glass transition temperature (T_g) glass frit. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method and a scratch test were conducted to support the results. The DSSC with the TiO₂ film containing 3 wt% low T_g frit showed optimal performance (5.1%, efficiency) compared to the TiO₂-based one. The photocurrent density slightly decreased by adding 3 wt% low T_g frit due to its large size and non-conductivity. However, the decrease of current density was compensated for by the scattering effect, high surface area and low electron transfer impedance at the electrolyte-dye-TiO₂ interface.     

Effect of process parameters on the efficiency of dye sensitized solar cells

The impact of process parameters on the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) was studied in order to improve its performance. TiO₂ working electrodes were prepared on FTO glass for various TiO₂ mixing time. Also these electrodes were sintered at four different temperatures (400, 450, 500, and 550°C) for one hour in ambient atmosphere. Platinum-sputtered counter electrodes were prepared at different light transmittance (70, 50, 30, and 0%). Microstructural charecterization of these electrodes were studied by X-ray diffraction method (XRD) and Scanning electron microscope (SEM). I–V characteristics of DSSCs made up of different working and counter electrodes were studied using solar simulator. Maximum efficiency (open circuit voltage (V_oc)∼0.68 V and short-circuit current density (J_sc) ∼ 12.3 mA/cm²) was observed for DSSC consisting of TiO₂ working electrode (12h mixing time, 500°C sintering temperature) and 0% transmittance Pt counter electrode. These results indicate that enhancement possibility of overall performance in DSSC was obtained by controlling process parameters, especially TiO₂ mixing time, sintering temperature and counter electrode transmittance.     

Novel 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives as efficient sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells: A combined experimental and computational study

We have synthesized and characterized donor–π–spacer–acceptor type molecules in which 1,3,4-oxadiazoles are π-spacers, triphenylamines are the donors and cyanoacetic acid are the acceptors for use as sensitizers in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Detailed absorption, emission, electrochemical, photoelectrochemical and computational studies have been carried out on five novel derivatives. The dyes have an absorption range of 377–388 nm, and an emission in the range of 494–540 nm. There is a large charge transfer from the donor side to the acceptor side on excitation. The propeller shape of the triphenylamine and the bulky substituents on it help in reducing the dye-aggregation on TiO₂ surface. The dyes exhibited good overall conversion efficiency (2.79–3.21%). Plane wave calculations indicate that the dye has a reasonably strong binding to the TiO₂ surface and the generated DOS picture shows an overlap of the molecular orbitals of the dye and the TiO₂ bands. We conclude that the dyes have a promising role as sensitizers in DSSC.