A new kind of photoactive electrodes with nanocrystalline TiO2(nano-TiO2)secondary structure is successfully prepared via a simple method of adding a small amount of TiCl4 2-propanol solution in conventional nano-TiO2 paste to form micro-sized nano-TiO2 aggregates.The benefits of this special structure include improved optical absorption,increased light scattering ability,and enhanced electron transport and collection efficiency.Dye-sensitized solar cells(DSCs)based on these photoactive electrodes show improved performance.The power conversion efficiency of the cells can be increased from 5.03%to 7.30%by substituting 6μm conventional nano-TiO2 thin film with the same thickness of as-prepared nano-TiO2 aggregates film in the photoactive electrodes.A higher power conversion efficiency of the cells can be obtained by further increasing the thickness of the nano-TiO2 aggregates film.
High performance Pt counter electrode is prepared by using vacuum thermal decomposition at a relatively low (120℃) temperature on a flexible polyethylene naphthalate substrate coated with indium-doped tin oxide for use in flexible dye-sensitized solar cells.The obtained Pt counter electrode shows a good chemical stability,high light transmittance,and high electrocatalytic activity for the I3-/I-redox reaction.The energy conversion efficiency of a flexible dye-sensitized solar cell based on the prepared Pt counter electrode and a TiO 2 /Ti photoanode reaches 5.14% under a simulated solar light irradiation with intensity of 100 mW cm-2.
XIAO YaoMing,WU JiHuai,CHENG CunXi,CHEN Yuan,YUE GenTian,LIN JianMing,HUANG MiaoLiang,FAN LeQing & LAN Zhang Engineering Research Center of Environment-Friendly Functional Materials,Ministry of Education,Institute of Materials Physical Chemistry,Huaqiao University,Quanzhou 362021,China
A microporous platinum/fullerenes (Pt/C 60) counter electrode was prepared by using a facile rapid thermal decomposition method,and the quantum-dot sensitized solar cell (QDSSC) of Pt/C 60-TiO 2-CdS-ZnS and Pt/C 60-TiO 2-CdTe-ZnS was fabrication.The technique forms a good contact between QDs and TiO 2 films.The photovoltaic performances of the as-prepared cells were investigated.The QDSSCs with Pt/C 60 counter electrode show high power conversion efficiency of 1.90% and 2.06%,respectively (under irradiation of a simulated solar light with an intensity of 100 mW cm 2),which is comparable to the one fabricated using conventional Pt electrode.
A simple method for the controllable hydrothermal synthesis of nanocrystalline anatase TiO2(nc-TiO2) particles involving the selection of suitable organic alkali peptizing agents is reported.A dye-sensitized solar cell(DSSC) with square-like nc-TiO2 particles with side lengths about 8-13 nm-prepared using tetraethylammonium hydroxide(TEAOH)-in the photoelectrode showed higher photovoltaic performance than two other DSSCs with square-like nc-TiO2 particles with side lengths about 7-10 nm-prepared using tetrabutylammonium hydroxide-or elongated nc-TiO2 particles with lengths about 18-35 nm and width about 10 18 nm-prepared using tetramethylammonium hydroxide(TMAOH)-in the photoelectrodes.When a scattering layer prepared from sub-micron size spheres or cone-like nc-TiO2 particles-synthesized using a higher concentration of TMAOH-was added on top of the photoelectrode fabricated from nc-TiO2 synthesized with TEAOH,the energy conversion efficiency of the DSSC was markedly increased from 6.77% to 8.18%.
A new kind of gel electrolyte containing only organic solvents and an iodide salt-namely 3-methoxypropionitrile(MPN),aniline and AlI 3 -has been prepared.Gel formation results from the Lewis acid-base interaction between the Lewis acid ionic conductor AlI 3 and the Lewis base organic solvent aniline and no additional gelling agent is required.The AlI 3-aniline complex acts both as an ionic conductor and as a gelling agent.The differences between the peaks characteristic of the-NH 2 group and aromatic ring in the FTIR spectra of free aniline and the AlI 3-aniline hybrid confirm the formation of the AlI 3-aniline complex.The photovoltaic performance and long-term stability of dye-sensitized solar cells can be greatly enhanced by the addition of aniline to the AlI 3-MPN liquid electrolyte.
