Dye-synthesized Solar Cells Research Articles

Highly effective Pt-free counter electrode constructed by break bone-like CoTe@graphite carbon thin films dye-synthesized solar cell

To boost the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) at a cheaper cost than currently available counter electrodes, platinum (Pt)-based CEs are necessary. We demonstrate the creation of thin films with different aspect ratios made of molybdenum ditelluride (CoTe) combined with graphitic carbon nitrides (g-C3N4) using the chemical vapour deposition technique on an FTO glass substrate. According to XRD, Raman, SEM, and TEM examination, the 2D nanosheets of g-C3N4have a polycrystalline nature and uniform nanograins that break human bone like the morphology of CoTe. The optical band gap and charge transfer efficiency of the films was assessed using UV and PL spectroscopy. In experiments, the modification of DSSCs with g-C3N4 significantly increased their photoelectric conversion efficiency. The DSSC incorporating CoTe@g-C3N4CE achieved high-power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.52% compared to DSSC with bare CoTe CE (2.67%).Furthermore, the upgraded CoTe@g-C3N4CE exhibited improved electron lifetime compared to other CEs, significant reduction towards I3-, and good electrocatalytic activity. Additionally, CoTe@g-C3N4 shows excellent electrocatalytic activity and prolonged electron lifetime, which is supported by experimental work using Tafel polarisation, EIS, and CV.

Charge transport through molecular ensembles: Triphenylamine-based organic dyes

Based on the recently synthesized triphenylamine-based organic dyes [https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.1c11547], several small molecules that can be considered as organic semiconducting materials in photovoltaic devices were theoretically modeled. It is found that these designed dyes with the donor-π conjugated bridge-acceptor (D-π-A) framework show high charge transport properties in the dye-synthesized solar cells (DSSCs). Divers types of π-bridges are explored and the structural, electronic, optical, and charge transport characteristics of considered organic small molecules are studied. Our results revealed the effect of π-bridge in tuning the charge transport properties of the studied dyes. Especially, it is found that the thiazole-based moieties as the most favorable candidate for π-bridges, can be used in the D-π-A backbone of the synthesized dye to improve the photovoltaic performance of the organic semiconductors. For designed organic dyes, the low electron reorganization energies and high intra-molecular coupling created by π-stacking give rise to improved electron and hole mobilities. This approach can be used for improving the semiconducting character of organic dyes in photovoltaic devices.

Semiconductor TiO2 Coating Deposited by Microwave Plasma Method

Transparent conducting glass is a crucial layer of Dye Synthesized Solar Cell (DSSC), due to it allows sunlight penetrating to the solar cell. DSSC has a low efficiency until semiconductor Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) was employed as the anode material. TiO2 has a high photosensitivity, high structure, stability under solar irradiation and in solution, and low cost. In this study TiO2 was deposited on the conductive glass using microwave plasma method. Plasma was generated using electromagnetic wave from microwave magnetron. TiO2 powder was dissolved using pure water and ethanol at different concentration. The coating process was conducted on a 2.5 x 2.5 cm of a conductive glass, and the effect of plasma generation time was observed at 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 5 minutes. The thickness, roughness, and microstructure of TiO2 coating on the conductive glass was observed using 3D measuring laser OLS4100. The result shows that the fabrication of TiO2 coatings using microwave plasma is feasible. The concentration of solution and plasma generation time plays an important role to the thickness, roughness, and microstructure of TiO2 coatings. An optimum result was obtained at plasma generation time of 0.5 minute with 12.49 μm and 3.398 μm of thickness and roughness respectively using 10 g TiO2 + 50 ml ethanol and 40 ml H2O.

N-Co-Cd-doped TiO2 nanocomposite for efficient dye-synthesized solar cells

N-Co-Cd-doped TiO2 nanocomposite for efficient dye-synthesized solar cells

Design and production of dye-synthesized solar cells with FTO/TiO2/ferroelectric dye/electrolyte/Pt/FTO architecture

Design and production of dye-synthesized solar cells with FTO/TiO2/ferroelectric dye/electrolyte/Pt/FTO architecture

Photovoltaic characteristics of organic heterocyclic 2,9-dimethyl quinacridone in different solvents using DFT approach

In this work, efforts had been made to develop the photovoltaic utility of 2,9-dimethyl quinacridone (2,9-DMQA) using density functional theory (DFT). Initially, the structural analysis was done using the molecule's ground state geometry to study the molecule's structural characteristics. In particular, the global reactivity descriptors, density of states (DOS) analysis, molecular electrostatic potential (MEP), contour plot, and, ionization potential surface, dipole moment, Mulliken, and natural charge distribution, were computed and analyzed to identify the nucleophilic and electrophilic sites of the molecule. Considering N – H the donor and C = O the acceptor group, the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) was established. Hirshfeld surfaces and fingerprint plots were also determined to explore intermolecular interactions. The electronic transitions were analyzed using the simulated absorption and emission spectra. To better understand the role of solvents in inducing the photovoltaic property, the light-harvesting efficiency of the molecules was computed in the considered solvents. The title molecule provided light harvesting efficiency in order of chloroform > ethanol > cyclohexane. Other photovoltaic properties were also computed to predict the power conversion efficiency of the molecule. Consequently, the title molecule offers a strong charge conduction ability and effective electron transport from the donor to the acceptor. The obtained results were favorable enough to test experimentally 2,9-DMQA which could be used as a photosensitizer in dye-synthesized solar cells and could enhance the performance of organic photovoltaic cells.

Improving the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells based on rare-earth metal modified bismuth ferrites

This study reports light energy harvesting characteristics of bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) and BiFO3 doped with rare-earth metals such as neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), and gadolinium (Gd) dye solutions that were prepared by using the co-precipitation method. The structural, morphological, and optical properties of synthesized materials were studied, confirming that 5–50 nm sized synthesized particles have a well-developed and non-uniform grain size due to their amorphous nature. Moreover, the peaks of photoelectron emission for bare and doped BiFeO3 were observed in the visible region at around 490 nm, while the emission intensity of bare BiFeO3 was noticed to be lower than that of doped materials. Photoanodes were prepared with the paste of the synthesized sample and then assembled to make a solar cell. The natural and synthetic dye solutions of Mentha, Actinidia deliciosa, and green malachite, respectively, were prepared in which the photoanodes were immersed to analyze the photoconversion efficiency of the assembled dye-synthesized solar cells. The power conversion efficiency of fabricated DSSCs, which was confirmed from the I–V curve, is in the range from 0.84 to 2.15%. This study confirms that mint (Mentha) dye and Nd-doped BiFeO3 materials were found to be the most efficient sensitizer and photoanode materials among all the sensitizers and photoanodes tested.

Influence of adsorption of gold and silver nanoclusters on structural, electronic, and nonlinear optical properties of pentacene-5,12-dione: a DFT study

The present study deals with the investigation of the change in the hyperpolarizability of Pentacene-2,5-dione (PD) on the introduction of the gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoclusters using the density functional theory (DFT). The involvement of the nanoclusters induces the intramolecular interactions, which is confirmed by the electrostatic potential plot and Mulliken charge distribution. The process of adsorption of metal clusters on the surface of PD is investigated by absorption spectra and the Raman spectra analysis. The global reactivity parameters validate a hike in the reactivity of the PD after the adsorption of Ag3 and Au3 nanoclusters. The study reported extraordinary enhancement in the hyperpolarizability of the metal nanoclusters adsorbed complexes. The high value of hyperpolarizability for PD-Ag3 (184.22 × 10−30esu) and PD-Au3 (2057.26 × 10−30esu) validates their applications in highly efficient NLO devices. The statistical calculation of radiative lifetime and light-harvesting efficiency reveals that probe PD can fruitfully contribute to the development of photo luminescent material and photosensitizer dye in dye-synthesized solar cells.

Survey of the Achievement of a ZnO Dye-Synthesized Solar Cell

The adoption of renewable energy resources is already becoming incredibly valuable if we are to make the appropriate changes to confront the effects of global warming. Because solar energy is the most widely known form of renewable energy, much focus has been placed on finding quality materials with high energy outputs to replace conventional fossil fuel energy sources. To utilize sun energy for power generation, the dye synthesis solar cell, which belongs to third-generation photovoltaic technology, is likely to compete with more mature silicon technologies. This paper attempts to convey the core idea of dye-synthesized solar cells and the material used to make photoanodes. To find out the contribution of the researcher to the achievement of the dye synthesis solar cell technology, previous studies were reviewed, and the factors that influence performance were analyzed. The research shows that proper optimizations relevant to dopant, light intensity, and type of materials and a new novel approach to increasing photo-electrochemical activity in dye synthesis solar cells could make the devices compete with silicon technology.

Silicone Materials for Flexible Optoelectronic Devices.

Polysiloxanes and materials based on them (silicone materials) are of great interest in optoelectronics due to their high flexibility, good film-forming ability, and optical transparency. According to the literature, polysiloxanes are suggested to be very promising in the field of optoelectronics and could be employed in the composition of liquid crystal devices, computer memory drives organic light emitting diodes (OLED), and organic photovoltaic devices, including dye synthesized solar cells (DSSC). Polysiloxanes are also a promising material for novel optoectronic devices, such as LEDs based on arrays of III-V nanowires (NWs). In this review, we analyze the currently existing types of silicone materials and their main properties, which are used in optoelectronic device development.

Enhancement of Efficiency of a TiO2-BiFeO3 Dye-Synthesized Solar Cell through Magnetization.

Enhancement in the efficiency of a TiO2 dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) has been demonstrated by introducing ferromagnetic perovskite BiFeO3 and controlling the magnetic field, which induces two-dimensional material-like properties in the bulk of the TiO2-BiFeO3 DSSC (a 3-dimensional material). The effect of the concentration of BiFeO3 as well as the magnetization direction on the performance of the TiO2-BiFeO3 DSSC has been investigated. After magnetization, it was confirmed that the current density, efficiency, and open circuit voltage of the TiO2-BiFeO3 DSSC were increased. The observed phenomena have been explained in terms of the Hall effect which is responsible for the reduction of the degree of freedom of the electron movement resulting in the two-dimensional material-like properties in the bulk of the TiO2-BiFeO3 DSSC.

The influences of Ni, Ag-doped TiO2 and SnO2, Ag-doped SnO2/TiO2 nanocomposites on recombination reduction in dye synthesized solar cells

In this work, the effects of doped nanoparticles (NPs) and nanocomposites (NCs) such as SnO2/TiO2 NCs, Ni-doped TiO2 NPs, Ag-doped TiO2 NPs and Ag-doped SnO2/TiO2 NCs as photoanode on the performance of Dye synthesized Solar Cells (DSSCs) were studied. The compounds were successfully synthesized using hydrothermal and sol-gel methods. XRD was used to examine the crystalline structures and the effects of dopants and nanocomposites on the crystal form of TiO2. Moreover, FE-SEM and TEM analysis showed that the produced NPs and NCs were porous and their shape, size and dispersion degree were different. Furthermore, by using FTIR spectra, the chemical species of the grown crystals were identified. Besides, variations band-gap were observed through the analysis of optical absorption spectra. In addition, EIS was used to analyze the effect of dopants and nanocomposites TiO2 on charge transfer resistance in the DSSCs. These studies indicated that the DSSCs photovoltaic properties largely depend on the compounds and structure of photoanodes. To this end, the current-voltage characteristics and Incident Photon-to-electron Conversion Efficiency (IPCE) measurements were used to evaluate the performance of DSSCs. As seen, while the conversion efficiency of the DSSC samples varies from 1.2 to ~6.93%, the DSSC-based on Ag-doped SnO2/TiO2 exhibit the highest conversion efficiency, i.e., 6.93%. It is owing to its lower charge transfer resistance, recombination and higher short-circuit photocurrent.

Synthesis and Characterization of 2,3-Diaminomaleonitrile Derivatives by One-Pot Schiff Base Reaction and Their Application in Dye Synthesized Solar Cells

In a one-pot reaction, three new 2,3-diaminomaleonitrile (DAMN) derivative dyes were prepared by simple Schiff base reaction. The compounds were designed as a sensitizer in dye synthesizes solar cells (DSSCs). Many conditions have been used to provide the methodology to get the best yield. The prepared dyes were characterized by melting point, elemental microanalysis, mass spectroscopy, FT-IR, 1H-NMR, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. A computational study was carried out to support our results. The DSSC data was shown the best performance for SA3 dye with 0.38% efficiency at AM 1.5 then SA2 with 0.22% and the last dye is SA1 with 0.09%, compared to control cell (N719) 5.4%.

Synthesis of polyvinyl acetate /graphene nanocomposite and its application as an electrolyte in dye sensitized solar cells

Liquid based electrolytes used in dye synthesized solar cells (DSSCs) have stability issues due to leakage and volatilization of organic solvents. To overcome this problem, many researchers focused on alternatives such as solid and gel based electrolytes. However, due to less ionic conductivity, gel based electrolytes are less efficient as compared to liquid electrolytes. In this work, polyvinyl acetate (PVAc)/graphene nanocomposite based gel electrolyte is synthesized for the first time using in-situ polymerization technique to enhance the efficiency of the solar cell. The prepared nanocomposite is characterized by using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and solar simulator techniques. The results of the I–V curve revealed the increased photocurrent density (JSC) of the prepared nanocomposite based gel electrolyte as compared to its counterpart. The values for short circuit photocurrent density (JSC), open circuit voltage (VOC) and fill factor (FF) of the nanocomposite based gel electrolyte are 6.62 mA cm−2, 0.64 V and 43% respectively, yielding an overall photovoltaic conversion efficiencies (PCE) of 4.57%, which is more than the efficiency (η = 4.35%) of referenced PVAc gel electrolyte based DSSC and comparable to the efficiency (η = 4.75%) of liquid electrolyte based DSSC. Finally, Electron impedance spectroscopic studies have been conducted to understand the electron transfer kinetics.

Effect of organic dyes and polypyrrole on the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells

Polypyrrole films were coated on conductive glass by electrochemical deposition (alternative current of direct process). They were then used as the dye-synthesized solar cell counter electron electrodes. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that polypyrrole forms a nanoparticle like structure on the conductive glass. In the present study, two new organic dyes based on aniline and substituted 5-Nitrosalicylaldehyde with aniline were prepared and used and sensitizes in dye-sensitized solar cells. These dyes in solution and on a nano-anatase v2o5 substrate were investigated. Additionally, oxidation potential measurement were also carried out. Finally, dye-sensitized solar cells were fabricated to determine and conversion efficiency of each dye.

Various impacts of blocking layer on the cell stability in natural dye based dye-synthesized solar cell

In this paper, various impacts of the blocking layer on the cell stability in natural dye-based DSSC have been investigated. Introducing the blocking layer into the DSSC gives an increase in the photovoltaic performance. Blocking layer increases photogenerated current in the cell by reducing charge carrier recombination. Almost 24% current has been increased in the cell after using the blocking layer. In addition, open circuit voltage and fill factor have also been increased. TiCl4 (blocking layer) treated with TiO2 has been showed 28% higher cell efficiency than without TiCl4 treated with TiO2. The cell performance increased from 0.477% to 0.612%. Furthermore, cell stability test has been carried out by aging the dye molecule in the ambient condition. Cell stability has been experienced by measuring the cell parameter after 360 h, 720 h and 1080 h (under 100 mW/cm2 illumination by standard A.M. 1.5 solar simulator) respectively. An increase in 38∼44.5% cell stability has been found after introducing the blocking layer into the cell.

Peptide mediated facile fabrication of silver nanoparticles over living diatom surface and its application

Peptide fabricated diatom frustules offer admirable conditions to synthesize (in situ) silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) of size ranging from 30 and 42nm in diameter at physiological conditions. The formation of AgNPs was achieved by photo-induced reduction process using UV-B rays from an electric lamp. The kinetics of NPs synthesis via photo-reduction is highly sensitive and depends upon peptide-diatom interactions which modify the rate of synthesis. Thus an alternative and effortless synthesis of such AgNPs-peptide embedded diatom devices could be utilized as high efficiency dye synthesized solar cell (DSSC) in the progress of renewable & sustainable energy field.

Light-assisted delithiation of lithium iron phosphate nanocrystals towards photo-rechargeable lithium ion batteries

Recently, intensive efforts are dedicated to convert and store the solar energy in a single device. Herein, dye-synthesized solar cell technology is combined with lithium-ion materials to investigate light-assisted battery charging. In particular we report the direct photo-oxidation of lithium iron phosphate nanocrystals in the presence of a dye as a hybrid photo-cathode in a two-electrode system, with lithium metal as anode and lithium hexafluorophosphate in carbonate-based electrolyte; a configuration corresponding to lithium ion battery charging. Dye-sensitization generates electron–hole pairs with the holes aiding the delithiation of lithium iron phosphate at the cathode and electrons utilized in the formation of a solid electrolyte interface at the anode via oxygen reduction. Lithium iron phosphate acts effectively as a reversible redox agent for the regeneration of the dye. Our findings provide possibilities in advancing the design principles for photo-rechargeable lithium ion batteries.

Penternary chalcogenides nanocrystals as catalytic materials for efficient counter electrodes in dye-synthesized solar cells.

The penternary chalcogenides Cu2CoSn(SeS)4 and Cu2ZnSn(SeS)4 were successfully synthesized by hot-injection method, and employed as a catalytic materials for efficient counter electrodes in dye-synthesized solar cells (DSSCs). The structural, compositional, morphological and optical properties of these pentenary semiconductors were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and ultraviolet-visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy. The Cu2CoSn(SeS)4 and Cu2ZnSn(SeS)4 nanocrystals had a single crystalline, kesterite phase, adequate stoichiometric ratio, 18–25 nm particle sizes which are forming nanospheres, and band gap energy of 1.18 and 1.45 eV, respectively. Furthermore, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammograms indicated that Cu2CoSn(SeS)4 nanocrystals as counter electrodes exhibited better electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of iodine/iodide electrolyte than that of Cu2ZnSn(SeS)4 nanocrystals and conventional platinum (Pt). The photovoltaic results demonstrated that DSSC with a Cu2CoSn(SeS)4 nanocrystals-based counter electrode achieved the best efficiency of 6.47%, which is higher than the same photoanode employing a Cu2ZnSn(SeS)4 nanocrystals (3.18%) and Pt (5.41%) counter electrodes. These promising results highlight the potential application of penternary chalcogen Cu2CoSn(SeS)4 nanocrystals in low-cost, high-efficiency, Pt-free DSSCs.

Photoactive nanocomplex formed from chlorophyll assembly on TMA-coated iron oxide nanoparticles

In this study, hierarchical self-assembly of photocatalytic nanodisks through non-covalent interactions between spinach-extracted chlorophyll molecules and trimethylammonium hydroxide-coated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles was discussed. Combination of chlorophyll molecules with iron oxide nanoparticles generated an alteration in light absorption at both visible and near-IR region with accompanying enhancement in fluorescence emission. Further, photocatalytic role of resulting molecular assembly was studied by means of the photoinduced degradation of methylene blue dye under UV light and direct sun irradiation at neutral pH. In order to enhance the long-term stability of the hybrid nanocatalyst, commercially available cellulose membrane was used as a support and magnetic recovery and reusability was achieved where the nanocatalyst retained more than 90 % of its efficiency even after four cycles. This simple strategy could initiate the development of new materials for wastewater treatment including membrane-based technologies. On the other hand, their sunlight-induced photocatalytic activity could easily be conducted to dye-synthesized solar cells or their enhanced photoluminescence can provide a strong basis for future bioimaging tools.