Abstract
To fabricate polydopamine-sensitized solar cells with improved solar power conversion efficiency, the effects of pH, buffer, adsorption time and electrode potential for the electrochemical oxidation and polymerization of dopamine on TiO2 film were investigated. The optimum pH was around 7. It was found that the use of a buffer, especially 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid, significantly deteriorated the electrochemical adsorption of polydopamine, and the highest solar power conversion efficiency was obtained without buffer. With increasing adsorption time, the amount of adsorbed polydopamine increased but the solar power conversion efficiency decreased, suggesting the increased resistivity of polydopamine with a larger degree of polymerization. It was suggested that the reversal of electrode potential from positive to negative would be essential for the electrochemical adsorption of polydopamine.
Highlights
It was found that the use of a buffer, especially 2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid, significantly deteriorated the electrochemical adsorption of polydopamine, and the highest solar power conversion efficiency was obtained without buffer
It was suggested that the reversal of electrode potential from positive to negative would be essential for the electrochemical adsorption of polydopamine
When tris(hydroxymethyl) aminomethane (THAM) was used as a buffer, the largest anodic current flowed in this experiment, and an oxidation peak appeared at about +0.75 V vs. Ag/AgCl, and that at about +0.55 V vs. Ag/AgCl was observed only in the first cycle and was not clearly observed in the second cycle onward
Summary
Recent worldwide trend for decarbonization has been accelerating the replacement from conventional fossil fuel to renewable energy sources, and the demand for more inexpensive photovoltaic (PV) generation. 10, in which the following particular condition was used, DA concentration (0.03 M), the selection of buffer and its concentration (0.01 M THAM), the selection of electrolyte and its concentration (the mixture of dilute 0.1 M HCl and 0.1 M NaOH for pH adjustment), solution pH (pH 8.5), electrochemical potential and its sweep rate (−1 - +1 V vs Ag/AgCl and 10 mV/s), all of which should significantly influence the electrochemical oxidation and polymerization of DA and the adsorption of DA on the TiO2 thin film that should occur prior to the PDA formation. Kitayama work is to investigate the optimum conditions, especially pH and buffer, for the electrochemical oxidation and polymerization of DA on TiO2 film in order to fabricate PDA (CV)-DSSC with improved η.
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