Improved quasi-solid dye-sensitized solar cells by composite ionic liquid electrolyte including layered α-zirconium phosphate

Abstract

The authors reported a composite quasi-solid electrolyte by adding layered α-zirconium phosphate (α-ZrP) to the iodide/tri-iodide ionic liquid, 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium dihydrophosphate, electrolyte including 4-tert-butylpyridine, which markedly improved photovoltaic properties of quasisolid dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). When adding 6wt% α-ZrP, photoenergy conversion efficiency of the DSSC increases by a factor of more than 2 to 2.61%, compared to a DSSC without α-ZrP. This enhancement is primarily explained by studying dark reaction, diffusion coefficient of tri-iodide ions, exchange current density in the interface of electrolyte/Pt counterelectrode, and lifetime of electrons in mesoscopic TiO2 film.