Effect of preparation parameters on the properties of TiO2 nanoparticles for dye sensitized solar cells

Nano-sized TiO₂ powders have been prepared by sol–gel method. Influences of the different preparation parameters on the TiO₂ nano-powder properties were investigated. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to examine the thermal properties of the produced TiO₂ nanoparticles. Yield efficiency of the resulted nanoparticles was calculated and the reaction efficiency was estimated. Maximum efficiency of 98.9% was achieved at autoclaving temperature of 245 °C for time duration of 12 h. X-ray diffraction analyses show the presence of anatase structure at low and high autoclaving temperatures. Fraction of rutile phase is detected with increasing the calcination temperature and reach 40% at 850 °C. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) showed spherical nanoparticles of 8–9 nm at autoclaving temperature of 130 °C, while elongated nanoparticles of 14–18 nm in length and 9 nm in width were measured at autoclaving temperature of 245 °C. The solar cell performance was measured for various TiO₂ dye sensitized solar cells. Samples of high autoclaving temperature gave an improvement in the efficiency to be 8.5% while those of lower autoclaving temperature had an efficiency of 7.29%. An enhancement in both open circuit voltage (V_oc) and fill factor (FF) is obviously detected, where elongated nanoparticles are measured by HRTEM, which improved the electronic conductivity and consequently FF and V_oc.     

Bridging TiO2 nanoparticles using graphene for use in dye‐sensitized solar cells

The use of graphene to bridge TiO₂ particles in the photoanode of dye‐sensitized solar cell for reduced electrical resistance has been investigated. The difficulty in dispersing graphene in TiO₂ paste was overcome by first dispersing graphene oxide (GO) into the TiO₂ paste. The GO was then reduced to graphene after the sintering of TiO₂. This is shown through transmission electron microscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. Cell performance was evaluated using a solar simulator, incident photon to electron conversion efficiency, intensity modulated photocurrent/photovoltage spectroscopy under blue light, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Depending on the amount of graphene in the photoanode, the cell performance was enhanced to different degrees. A maximum increase of 11.4% in the cell efficiency has been obtained. In particular, the inclusion of graphene has reduced the electron diffusion time by as much as 23.4%, i.e. from 4.74 to 3.63 ms and increased the electron lifetime by as much as 42.3%, i.e. from 19.58 to 27.85 ms. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preparation of 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium acetate and its application in dye sensitized solar cells

In this paper, we reported the preparation of 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium acetate (MPIAc), which proceeded via the metathesis of 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium iodide (MPII) and lead acetate or potassium acetate. The apparent diffusion coefficients of triiodide and iodide in binary ionic liquids, MPIAc and MPII with various weight ratios, were demonstrated by cyclic voltammetry using a Pt ultramicroelectrode. It was found that the apparent diffusion coefficients of triiodide increased and those of iodide slightly increased with the weight ratio increase of MPIAc and MPII. The dye sensitized solar cells with the electrolyte, which was composed of 0.13 M I₂, 0.10 M LiI, 0.50 M 4-tert-butylpyrdine in the binary ionic liquid electrolyte of MPIAc (employing potassium acetate) and MPII (weight ratio 0.2), gave short circuit photocurrent density of 9.40 mA cm⁻², open circuit voltage of 0.62 V, and fill factor of 0.57, corresponding to the photoelectric conversion efficiency of 3.34% at the illumination (air mass 1.5, 100 mW cm⁻²).     

An improved preparation of 3-ethyl-1-methylimidazolium trifluoroacetate and its application in dye sensitized solar cells

In this paper, we reported an improved preparation of 3-ethyl-1-methylimidazolium trifluoroacetate (EMITA), which proceeded via efficient reaction of 1-methylimidazole and ethyl trifluoroacetate under solvent-free conditions using Teflon-lined, stainless steel autoclaves. It was shown that the procedure was simple and eco-friendly. The apparent diffusion coefficients of triiodide and iodide in binary ionic liquids, EMITA and 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium iodide (MPII) with various weight ratios, were demonstrated by cyclic voltammetry using a Pt ultramicroelectrode. It was found that the apparent diffusion coefficients of triiodide slightly increased and those of iodide decreased with the weight ratio increase of EMITA and MPII. The dye sensitized solar cells with the electrolyte, which was composed of 0.13 M I₂, 0.10 M LiI, 0.50 M 4-tert-butylpyrdine in the binary ionic liquid electrolyte of EMITA and MPII (weight ratio 1:2), gave short circuit photocurrent density of 7.88 mA cm⁻², open circuit voltage of 0.61 V, and fill factor of 0.67, corresponding to the photoelectric conversion efficiency of 3.22% at the illumination (Air Mass 1.5, 100 mW cm⁻²).     

Photovoltaic properties of corresponding dye sensitized solar cells: Effect of active sites of growth controller on TiO2 nanostructures

A two-step sol–gel method was applied to prepare TiO₂ nanoparticles using two different primary amines as shape controller. The effect of active sites of amines on the shape of the TiO₂ nanocrystals and its effect on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells were investigated. The results showed that using the diaminodioxaoctane ligand results in well-dispersed 1D TiO₂ nanostructures while the diaminooctane ligand gave rise to sheet-like structures. Photovoltaic measurements showed higher conversion efficiency when TiO₂ films were prepared using the diaminodioxaoctane ligand (S_DADO) than in the case of the diaminooctane ligand (S_DAO) which is mainly due to the increased light scattering for S_DADO.     

Preparation of semiconducting copolymer and its application in nanocrystalline TiO2 solar cells

Abstract

The past decade has witnessed increasing attention in the nanocrystalline TiO₂ solar cells (TSSCs). In this work, we have studied a novel TiO₂/PCBM/PPy solar cell based on blends of the semiconducting copolymer polypyrrole (PPy) and [6,6]-phenyl C₆₁ butyric acid methyl (PCBM) coated titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanocrystal film to substitute the I₃^?/I^? redox electrolyte and the dye using in DSSCs. The research by incident photon to current efficiency spectra shows that the TiO₂ films had a stronger absorption in 300–500 nm light range. The performance of the resulting photovoltaic devices was investigated, and the effects of the PCBM/PPy ratio by photocurrent–voltage characteristics were researched. By the optimised PCBM/PPy ratio was 3∶1, The TSSC exhibited a short circuit current of 1·28 mA cm^?2, an open circuit voltage of 0·788 V, a fill factor of 0·654 and a light to electric energy conversion efficiency of 0·622% under a simulated solar light irradiation of 100 mW cm^?2.     

CdS量子点敏化TiO_2纳米颗粒多孔薄膜太阳能电池性能研究

以CdS量子点敏化TiO2纳米颗粒多孔薄膜为光阳极,与多硫电解液和Pt对电极组装太阳能电池,研究了光阳极厚度和敏化周期对光伏性能的影响。结果表明,TiO2纳米颗粒多孔薄膜的最佳厚度为14μm,最佳CdS量子点敏化周期为20,由此得到的太阳能电池的短路电流密度J sc、光电转换效率η和量子效率分别为4.51 mA/cm2、0.76%和69%。在光阳极中采用TiO2纳米颗粒/TiO2纳米线多孔薄膜双层工作电极,TiO2纳米线散射层增加了对入射光的利用率,使电池在可见光波段的量子效率增加,从而使电池的短路电流密度J sc和光电转换效率分别比原来提高了11.6%和10.5%。     

Dye-sensitized solar cells based on a single layer deposition of TiO2 from a new formulation paste and their photovoltaic performance

A new strategy for enhancing the efficiency and reducing the production cost of TiO₂ solar cells by design of a new formulated TiO₂ paste with tailored crystal structure and morphology is reported. The conventional three- or four-fold layer deposition process was eliminated and replaced by a single layer deposition of TiO₂ compound. Different TiO₂ pastes with various crystal structures, morphologies and crystallite sizes were prepared by an aqueous particulate sol–gel process. Based on simultaneous differential thermal (SDT) analysis the minimum annealing temperature to obtain organic-free TiO₂ paste was determined at 400 °C, being one of the lowest crystallization temperatures of TiO₂ photoanode electrodes for solar cell application. Photovoltaic measurements showed that TiO₂ solar cell with pure anatase crystal structure had higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) than that made of pure rutile-TiO₂. However, the PCE of solar cells depends on the anatase to rutile weight ratio, reaching a maximum at a specific value due to the synergic effect between anatase and rutile TiO₂ nanoparticles. Moreover, it was found that the PCE of solar cells made of crystalline TiO₂ powders was much higher, increasing in the range 32–84% depending on anatase to rutile weight ratio, than that of prepared by amorphous powders. TiO₂ solar cell with the morphology of mixtures of nanoparticles and microparticles had higher PCE than the solar cell with the same phase composition containing TiO₂ nanoparticles due to the role of TiO₂ microparticles as light scattering particles. The presented strategy would open up new insight into fabrication and structural design of low-cost TiO₂ solar cells with high power conversion efficiency.     

Synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles at low hydrothermal temperature and its performance for DSSC sensitized using natural dye extracted from Melastoma malabathricum L. seeds

Efficiency of a dye‐sensitized solar cell (DSSC) device depends on its semiconductor layer and the sensitizing dye to absorb the light. This work seeks to obtain the best solvent for the natural dye extraction from Melastoma malabathricum L. seeds. The extracted dye is used as sensitizer on TiO₂ nanoparticles produced via hydrothermal but optimized at relatively low temperature. Infrared characterization of the extracted dyes showed differences in functional groups using different solvents, whereas ultraviolet visible examination of the dyes showed differences in intensity along the spectrum ranges of 600 to 400 nm with maximum absorption around 550 to 500 nm. Thermal analysis revealed that the natural dye should be stable around room temperature. Analysis on the synthesized TiO₂ nanoparticles showed that the average crystallite size reported in the previous work is consistent with crystallite sizes observed in the transmission electron microscope images. Photoactivity examination showed that the DSSC sensitized using natural dye extracted with ethanol containing 20% distilled water on TiO₂ synthesized at 150°C has an efficiency of 5.7%, whereas the one on commercial TiO₂ P25 Degussa has an efficiency of 3.0%. The DSSC device sensitized using commercial dye on TiO₂ synthesized at 150°C has an efficiency of 4.4%, whereas the one on TiO₂ P25 Degussa has an efficiency of 4.0%. This result is promising for further development of the DSSC device using TiO₂ nanoparticles synthesized at low hydrothermal temperature and sensitized with the natural dye.     

Photovoltage enhancement of dye sensitised solar cells by using ZnO modified TiO2 electrode

Abstract

A ZnO modified TiO₂ (ZnO/TiO₂) film was prepared by immersing TiO₂ electrodes in Zn(Ac)₂ aqueous solution. The open circuit voltage of a dye sensitised solar cell (DSSC) with the ZnO/TiO2 film electrode has a dramatic enhancement, compared to the DSSC with the TiO₂ film electrode. However, the short circuit current density of the DSSC with the ZnO/TiO₂ film electrode is lower than that with TiO₂ electrode. The film electrodes were characterised by SEM, EDX and UV-vis, and the photoelectric performance of DSSCs were measured. The photovoltage enhancement is attributed to the formation of a flat-band potential energy barrier by ZnO at TiO₂/electrolyte interface. The decline of the photocurrent with ZnO/TiO₂ film electrode is due to poor dye absorption on larger particles of ZnO.     

Characterization of some metal-free organic dyes as photosensitizer for nanocrystalline ZnO-based dye sensitized solar cells

We report the photoelectrochemical characteristics of some biologically used dye: Bromophenol, Ponceau S, Sudan IV, Giemsa, and Acridine Orange as sensitizers. The J_SC from 2.5 to 0.47 mA cm⁻² with the order Bromophenol > Ponceau S > Sudan IV > Giemsa > Acridine orange, the V_OC from 642 to 384 mV, the fill factor (FF) from 0.61 to 0.40, and P_max from 855 to 84 μW cm⁻² were obtained from the DSSCs sensitized with these metal free organic dyes. Among these dyes, Bromophenol gave the best performance as sensitizer with maximum current, which is due to the better interaction between the hydroxyl groups of the dye on the surface of ZnO porous film. Incident photon- to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) achieved with the use of these dyes follows the order Ponceau S > Sudan IV > Bromophenol > Giemsa > Acridine orange.     

Electrical and optical studies of flexible stainless steel mesh electrodes for dye sensitized solar cells

Stainless steel (SS) mesh was used to fabricate anodes for flexible dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC) in order to evaluate them as replacements for more expensive Transparent Conductor Oxides (TCO's). SS mesh performance was analyzed and it was determined that oxidation of SS during the sintering of titania particles affects the transport and interface resistance of the device. Thus a thin layer of non-porous titania coating was added onto the mesh to protect the electrode from oxidation. Comparing with Fluorine doped Tin Oxide (FTO), SS mesh was found to have higher interface resistance but the overall series resistance was lower due to higher conductivity of metals. The effects of SS mesh opening size and microstructure on the performance of the device was analyzed and design strategies to obtain high efficiency flexible SS mesh DSSC are provided.     

The synthesis and characterization of carbon dots and their application in dye sensitized solar cell

Carbon dots (CDOTs) are increasingly becoming popular in the areas ranging from sensing and bioimaging to electronics. The interesting optical properties of CDOTs make it vital to explore its potential in the development of sustainable energy. In this work, one-step hydrothermally synthesized CDOTs were used as sensitizing agent in the fabrication of dye sensitized solar cell. The fabrication of the CDOT-based dye sensitized solar cell and its performance characteristics are explored in depth. The fabricated dye sensitized solar cell performance in terms of efficiency, voltage, and current was evaluated using a standard illumination of air-mass 1.5 global (AM 1.5 G) having an irradiance of 100 mW/cm [2]. The photon-to-current conversion efficiency (η) of only the carbon dot sensitized solar cell was 0.10% whereas the efficiency of the solar cell fabricated with a sensitizing dye made up of CDOT and N719 was 0.19%. As compared with the performance DSSCs fabricated with only 719 dye, it was observed that when CDOT was used in combination with N719 as sensitizing dye, the open circuit voltage increases yet the overall efficiency of the resulting solar cells decreases. It is clear from the result that CDOT could be used as a sensitizing dye in DSSCs. However, it is not very useful when used in combination with other sensitizing dyes due to energy transfer.     

Optimization of lead- and cadmium-free front contact silver paste formulation to achieve high fill factors for industrial screen-printed Si solar cells

Screen-printed n⁺–p–p⁺ solar cells were fabricated on Cz single crystalline Si material, with a 45 Ω/sq emitter and PECVD SiNx antireflective coating with a thickness of 700 Å, using different Ag pastes and commercial leaded reference paste (CN33-462, Ferro Corp.). Ag and Al contacts were co-fired using a mass-production line equipped with mesh belt conveyer furnace systems (Centrotherm thermal solution GmbH & Co. KG). The average results for single crystalline Si solar cells (156 cm²) are: I_sc=5.043 A, V_oc=0.621 V, R_s=0.0087 Ω, R_sh=15.3 Ω, FF=0.773, and E_ff=16.45%. R_sh and fill factor values of fabricated cells were slightly higher when compared with the commercial leaded Ag paste, although cells were fabricated by metallizing the lead-free silver pastes. For the lead-free Ag paste used in this study, the line pattern continuity is retained with improved edge definition in sharp contrast to that of reference Ag paste. Average value of R_s was also equivalent approximately to that of the leaded Ag paste.     

Photovoltaic performance of solid-state solar cells based on ZnO nanosheets sensitized with low-cost metal-free organic dye

In this study, the fabrication of photoanode of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) using two-dimensional ZnO nanosheets (ZnONSs) and low-cost metal-free photosensitizer, evans blue, and evaluation of its photovoltaic performance in the solid-state DSSC with TiO₂ nanotubes (TNTs) modified poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) polymer electrolyte is described. The ZnONSs are synthesized via hydrothermal method and are characterized by high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PLS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The photovoltaic performance of the cells is evaluated under standard air mass 1.5 global simulated illumination (100 mW cm⁻²). The current-voltage (I-V) and photocurrent-time (I-T) curves proved effective collection of electrons in the solid-state DSSCs with the ZnONSs photoanode. The solar to electrical energy conversion efficiency of the ZnONSs based DSSC with TNTs modified PEO electrolyte is 0.12%, which is about 1.5 times higher than that of the ZnO nanoparticles based DSSC, due to fast electron diffusion within the nanosheets.     

Hydrogen treated TiO2 nanoparticles onto FTO glass as photoanode for dye-sensitized solar cells with remarkably enhanced performance

Hydrogen treatment is a facile and efficient approach for the enhancement in the functioning of TiO₂ nanoparticles for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). In this work, TiO₂ nanoparticles have been synthesized in the hydrogen environment followed by the deposition onto FTO glass substrates with various film thickness as photoanodes for DSSC. The synthesized hydrogen treated TiO₂ nanoparticles based photoanodes have showed significantly improved photocurrent in the resulting fabricated devices. SEM and TEM analyses have confirmed the particle size and morphology of TiO₂ nanoparticles at various magnifications. The crystalline structure and phase identification were studied by XRD analysis and Raman spectroscopic measurements. The UV–Vis spectroscopy analysis was carried out to find the response of samples for ultraviolet and visible light. The current-voltage measurements have confirmed the improvement of photocurrent that is principally due to improved photo-activity of hydrogen treated TiO₂ nanoparticles. Moreover, hydrogen treated TiO₂ nanoparticles-based photoanode with the film thickness of 11.65 μm has remarkably enhanced power conversion efficiency of 6.05% in DSSCs. The ability of highly photoactive hydrogen treated TiO₂ nanoparticles will provide the new openings in different fields that include photo-electrochemical water splitting and in many other applications.     

Hydrothermally synthesized TiO2 nanopowders and their use as photoanodes in dye‐sensitized solar cells

TiO₂ nanopowders are synthesized using a hydrothermal process under various conditions. Effects of several hydrothermal conditions are investigated such that the TiO₂ nanopowders having optimized size, surface area, crystallinity, and yield are used for the fabrication of photoanodes. The obtained TiO₂ photoanodes are subjected to oxygen plasma treatments for various times. As‐synthesized and plasma‐treated photoanodes are then assembled into dye‐sensitized solar cells. The plasma‐treated photoanodes exhibit different concentrations of surface C–OH and oxygen vacancies, depending on the plasma treatment times. This leads to dye‐sensitized solar cells having different conversion efficiencies. The use of plasma treatment can enhance the cell conversion efficiency by more than 24%. The effects of the photoanode surface condition on the performance of photoanode are discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simple size-controlled fabrication of Zn2SnO4 nanostructures and study of their behavior in dye sensitized solar cells

Zn₂SnO₄ nanostructures were obtained via facile and rapid co-precipitation approach in presence of amines with different long chain as a novel basic and capping agents. The effect of different amines such as NH₃, ethylenediamine, triethylenetetramine, tetraethylenepentamine on the size of Zn₂SnO₄ nanostructures were investigated. The results demonstrated that applying the appropriate amount of organic amine could be effective in particle size control. The obtained nanostructure products were specified by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy. Dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC) were created by the constructed electrodes as working electrode and then were studied by current density–voltage (J–V) curve. It was found that incorporating of TiO₂ nanoparticles to optimized Zn₂SnO₄ nanostructures has significant role on the constructed DSSCs photovoltaic properties.     

Testing of dye sensitized TiO2 solar cells I: Experimental photocurrent output and conversion efficiencies

Recently, a paper was published by the Lausanne Group headed by Dr. M. Graetzel which reported a simple low cost 7% efficient photo electrochemical solar cell made from a trinuclear Ru dye complex adsorbed on the very rough surface of a colloidal TiO₂ film. In the current paper, a verification of this result is presented using procedures described in the literature. Measurements are reported in stimulated and natural sunlight which confirm that the efficiency is indeed in the range previously reported. Predicted Air Mass 1.5 photo currents are compared to those obtained from fabricated dye sensitized cells. Although current densities of 12 mA/cm² and voltages of over 0.6 V are measured,it is found that corresponding fill factors, less than 0.6, limit the performance of the cell under solar illumination. The basic economics of such a device are outlined and it is proposed that cell costs of $ 0.6 per peak watt could be possible if the longevity of the cell is at least 15 years.     

Improved efficiency of dye sensitized solar cells by treatment of the dyed titania electrode with alkyl(trialkoxy)silanes

Dye sensitized cells are improved by passivation of the dyed titania electrode by silanizing the dyed surface with alkyl(trialkoxy)silanes. In cells utilizing the ruthenium dye bis(4,4′-dicarboxy-2,2′-bipyridine)bis(thiocyanato)ruthenium (II) (N3) optimum performance is produced by treating the dyed electrode with octyl(trimethoxy)silane in dry toluene. Such treatment increases efficiency as much as 66%, raising cells utilizing an ionic liquid electrolyte with high [I₃⁻] from 1.7% to 2.8% (1 sun AM1.5). The effect on dark currents and on cell efficiencies of this silanization and of dyeing both the FTO and TiO₂ surfaces is discussed for ionic liquid and acetonitrile based electrolytes.