Quasi-solid-state dye sensitized solar cells using supramolecular gel electrolyte formed from two-component low molecular mass organogelators

Abstract

A novel supramolecular gel electrolyte formed from two-component low molecular mass organogelators was developed and introduced into quasi-solid-state dye sensitized solar cell (QS-DSSC). This supramolecular gel electrolyte system was prepared by using N,N’-1,5-pentanediylbis-dodecanamide and 4-(Boc-aminomethyl)pyridine as co-gelator. Furthermore, the morphologies of the two-component supramolecular gel electrolyte and single-component gel electrolyte were observed by the polarized optical light microscopy, and the charge transport property of the two-component supramolecular gel electrolyte and the kinetic processes of the electron transport/recombination were investigated by the intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy/intensity-modulated photovoltage spectroscopy (IMPS/IMVS). The polarized optical microscopy (POM) revealed that the single-component gel electrolyte was formed as the rod-like fibers, whereas the fibers changed to branched structure in the two-component supramolecular gel electrolyte. Moreover, comparing with the single-component gel electrolyte based QS-DSSC, the electron transport is faster and the electron recombination at the TiO2/electrolyte interface is slower in the two-component supramolecular gel electrolyte based QSDSSC. Consequently, an efficiency of 7.04% was obtained by the two-component supramolecular gel electrolyte based QSDSSC, which is higher than that of the single-component gel electrolyte based QS-DSSC (6.59%).