Porous membrane of polyindole and polymeric ionic liquid incorporated PMMA for efficient quasi-solid state dye sensitized solar cell

An Investigation on Gel-State Electrolytes for Solar Cells Sensitized with β-Substituted Porphyrinic Dyes

The presence of a liquid electrolyte in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is known to limit the time stability of these devices due to leakage and evaporation phenomena. To overcome this issue, gel-state electrolytes may represent a good solution in order to maintain stability and good performances, albeit at lower costs. In the present work, two different kinds of gel-electrolytes, based on poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and nanoclay agents, were investigated in DSSC-devices sensitized using β-substituted Zn-porphyrins (namely ZnPC4 and ZnPC12) with enveloping alkoxy chains of different lengths, able to produce a coverage of the photoanode surface. The highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) values equal to 1.06 ± 0.04% and 1.55 ± 0.26% were obtained for ZnPC12 (with longer alkoxy chains) with PMMA- and nanoclay-based electrolytes respectively. The properties of the photoanode/electrolyte interface as well as the influence of the gelling agents on the final properties of the obtained devices were thoroughly characterized.

Porous organic polymers in solar cells

Owing to their unique porosity and large surface area, porous organic polymers (POPs) have shown their presence in numerous novel applications. The tunability and functionality of both the pores and backbone of the material enable its suitability in photovoltaic devices. The porosity induced host-guest configurations as well as periodic donor-acceptor structures benefit the charge separation and charge transfer in photophysical processes. The role of POPS in other critical device components, such as hole transporting layers and electrodes, has also been demonstrated. Herein, this review will primarily focus on the recent progress made in applying POPs for solar cell device performance enhancement, covering organic solar cells, perovskite solar cells, and dye-sensitized solar cells. Based on the efforts in recent years in unraveling POP's photophysical process and its relevance with device performances, an in-depth analysis will be provided to address the gradual shift of attention from an entirely POP-based active layer to other device functional components. Combining the insights from device physics, material synthesis, and microfabrication, we aim to unfold the fundamental limitations and challenges of POPs and shed light on future research directions.

Synthesis and characterization of a new phenothiazine-based sensitizer/co-sensitizer for efficient dye-sensitized solar cell performance using a gel polymer electrolyte and Ni–TiO2 as a photoanode

Efficiency enhancement of a DSSC using a metal-free co-sensitizer, Ni–TiO2 photoanode, and blend gel polymer electrolyte.

Polydopamine-Modified Electrospun Polyvinylidene Fluoride Nanofiber Based Flexible Polymer Gel Electrolyte for Highly Stable Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

To overcome the drawbacks of solvent evaporation and leakage from the liquid electrolyte in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), a polymer gel electrolyte (PGE), based on polydopamine (PDA)-modified electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofibers, PDA@PVDF, was prepared and applied in quasi-solid DSSCs (QS-DSSCs). The PDA coating increased the wettability of the liquid electrolyte by improving the distribution of the ionic liquid electrolyte. This, in turn, enhanced the ion conductivity of the PGE as well as the stability of QS-DSSC. The PDA@PVDF nanofiber membrane exhibited a satisfactory ultimate tensile strength of 9.3 MPa with a failure elongation of 130%. Such high toughness provided excellent mechanical support for the PGE. Owing to the unique pore connected structure of nonwoven nanofibers as well as the reduced surface tension with the liquid electrolytes, the PGE-based QS-DSSC retained 95.7% of the short circuit current from the liquid-electrolyte-based DSSC and showed an energy conversion efficiency of 8.26%. No significant impacts were observed for the open-circuit voltage and fill factor. More importantly, the QS-DSSCs using PDA@PVDF-based PGE showed a significantly improved solar cell stability under both indoor and outdoor conditions.