Quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell based on gel electrolyte with high gel to solution transition temperature using low molecular mass organogelator

Abstract

Quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell (QS-DSSC) were fabricated using N,N'-1,4-butylenediylbis-dodecanamide as low molecular mass organogelator (LMOG). The gel to solution transition temperature (Tgel) of this gel electrolyte is 115.8 °C which ensures a good intrinsic stability of the gel electrolyte at the QS-DSSC operating temperature. The kinetic processes of electron transport and recombination of DSSCs influenced by the gel electrolyte are investigated in detail. Due to the diffusion of redox species in the gel electrolyte is hindered by the crosslinked network and the electron recombination at the interface of the TiO2 photoanode/electrolyte is accelerated, the incidental photon-to-electron conversion efficiency (IPCE) and the short circuit photocurrent density (Jsc) of the QS-DSSC are slightly decreased compared with those of liquid electrolyte based DSSC (L-DSSC). Remarkably, the QS-DSSC exhibits excellent thermal and light-soaking stabilities during accelerated aging tests for 1000 h. The QS-DSSC retains 90% of its initial photoelectric conversion efficiency, whereas that of L-DSSC only retains 83% under successive one sun light soaking with UV cut-off filter at 50 °C for 1000 h.