A Quasi-Solid State DSSC with 10.1% Efficiency through Molecular Design of the Charge-Separation and -Transport.

Michio Suzuka,Noriko Hayo,Masakazu Takata,Kouichi Sumioka,Naoki Hayashi,Takashi Sekiguchi,Hiroyuki Nishide,Hiroki Ikeda,Kenichi Oyaizu

doi:10.1038/srep28022

Michio Suzuka, Noriko Hayo + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/srep28022

Copy DOI

Abstract

Organic-based solar cells potentially offer a photovoltaic module with low production costs and low hazard risk of the components. We report organic dye-sensitized solar cells, fabricated with molecular designed indoline dyes in conjunction with highly reactive but robust nitroxide radical molecules as redox mediator in a quasi-solid gel form of the electrolyte. The cells achieve conversion efficiencies of 10.1% at 1 sun, and maintain the output performance even under interior lighting. The indoline dyes, customized by introducing long alkyl chains, specifically interact with the radical mediator to suppress a charge-recombination process at the dye interface. The radical mediator also facilitates the charge-transport with remarkably high electron self-exchange rate even in the quasi-solid state electrolyte to lead to a high fill factor.

Highlights

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have received significant attention because of their ease and high reproducibility in wet-chemical fabrication, and various module types of DSSCs have already been examined in full-scale on windows and walls in the field[1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
DSSCs were fabricated with designed indoline molecules as the dye sensitizer and with the polymer gels containing a highly reactive TEMPO radical/cation redox couple as the hole-transporting mediator and the optimized electrolyte
The photoanode was prepared for efficient light-harvesting with the new dyes, a TiO2 nanoparticle, and a light-scattering-layer atop an ATO substrate

Summary

Introduction

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have received significant attention because of their ease and high reproducibility in wet-chemical fabrication, and various module types of DSSCs have already been examined in full-scale on windows and walls in the field[1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. DSSCs were fabricated with designed indoline molecules as the dye sensitizer and with the polymer gels containing a highly reactive TEMPO radical/cation redox couple as the hole-transporting mediator and the optimized electrolyte (the composition in the Supplementary Information).

Results

Conclusion