Enhanced electrochemical properties of metal oxide interspersed polymer gel electrolyte for QSDSSC application

Abstract

Improved ionic conductivity of polymer gel electrolyte by the addition of inorganic fillers is an innovation in electrochromic devices. This work reports preparation of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) based gel electrolyte via ‘solvation-unfolding-swelling’ process. The properties of the gel electrolyte after adding inorganic nano fillers have been studied. An enhancement in the physical and electrochemical properties of the PMMA gel electrolyte is observed with the introduction of fillers such as TiO2 and ZnO. The modified gel electrolyte shows an enhancement in ionic conductivity due to the synergistic effect of the fillers. A maximum conductivity is observed for an optimum filler concentration which is 3 wt% for ZnO and 2 wt% for TiO2 with conductivities respectively 18.41 × 10−4 and 17.54 × 10−4 mho cm−1. FTIR and thermogravimetric analyses are performed to study the interaction of the fillers with the polymer matrix. Stability study of these gel electrolytes is carried out by monitoring their electrochemical behavior under ambient temperature. Performance of the PMMA gel electrolyte before and after adding the filler is checked in a solar cell assembly under 1 sun illumination. The result shows that the fillers has a direct bearing on the performance of the solar cell.