Polyacrylonitrile-based gel electrolytes were prepared using tetrapropylammonium iodide salt for dyesensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The optimized gel electrolyte exhibited an ionic conductivity of 2.6 mS cm -1 at 25°C and the DSSC fabricated with this gel electrolyte showed open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current density, fill factor, and efficiency of 0.71 V, 11.8 mA, 51, and 4.2 %, respectively, under one sun irradiation. The efficiency of the cell increases increased with decreasing solar irradiance achieving 10 % efficiency and 80 % fill factor at 3 mW cm -2 a low irradiance value of 3 mW cm -2 . Lower efficiencies at higher intensities were attributed to transport limitation of the redox mediators at high irradiation intensities. This work suggests that quasi-solid state DSSCs can reach efficiencies close to that of liquid electrolytebased cells at low irradiance levels. The results open up new vistas on efficiency improvement in DSSCs by optical manipulation and control of DSSCs.
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