Quasi Solid-State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Incorporating Highly Conducting Polythiophene-Coated Carbon Nanotube Composites in Ionic Liquid

Abstract

Conducting polythiophene (PTh) composites with the host filler multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) have been used, for the first time, in the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). A quasi solid-state DSCs with the hybrid MWNT-PTh composites, an ionic liquid of 1-methyl-3-propyl imidazolium iodide (PMII), was placed between the dye-sensitized porous TiO2 and the Pt counter electrode without adding iodine and higher cell efficiency (4.76%) was achieved, as compared to that containing bare PMII (0.29%). The MWNT-PTh nanoparticles are exploited as the extended electron transfer materials and serve simultaneously as catalyst for the electrochemical reduction of .