Fabrication and Characterization of Bifacial Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells Utilizing Indoline Dye with Iodine‐ and Cobalt‐Based Redox Electrolytes

Abstract

Bifacial solar cells are gaining popularity due to their compactness, space‐saving property, and higher photoconversion efficiency (PCE) than mono‐facial solar cells. Bifacial dye‐sensitized solar cells (BF‐DSSCs) are fabricated and characterized utilizing D‐205 as a dye sensitizer in combination with I−/I3− and Co2+/Co3+ redox electrolytes. BF‐DSSCs using iodine‐based electrolytes demonstrate a cumulative PCE and bifaciality factor (BFF) of 13.05% and 85%, respectively. The hampered PCE under backside light illumination is attributed to the absorption of photons by the electrolyte itself. Contrary to this, BF‐DSSCs fabricated using cobalt‐complex‐based redox electrolyte exhibits an exceptionally high BFF of nearly 100% with a PCE of 4.77% and 4.75% under the front‐ and rear‐light illumination, respectively. Although the open‐circuit voltage of the BF‐DSSCs fabricated using cobalt electrolyte (with deeper redox potential) is slightly higher than that of BF‐DSSCs fabricated using iodine electrolyte, their cumulative PCE (9.52%) is much lower than that of iodine‐based device counterparts (13.05%). This decrease in PCE is attributed to the relatively fast charge recombination in the cobalt‐electrolyte‐based BF‐DSSCs.