One of the key issues affecting the performance of solar cells is the behavior of carrier transfer. In this work, the time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) technique was utilized to investigate the electron transfer at the CdS/CdSe, TiO2/CdS, and TiO2/CdSe heterointerfaces. By varying the excitation wavelengths, photoluminescence lifetimes of CdSe and CdS in TiO2/CdSe, TiO2/CdS, TiO2/CdS/CdSe, and TiO2/CdSe/CdS photoelectrodes were measured. The results show that, for the single sensitizer electrodes (TiO2/CdS, TiO2/CdSe), the average PL lifetime of CdS (0.69 ns) is shorter than CdSe (0.99 ns), suggesting that CdS has higher electron transfer rate toward TiO2 compared with CdSe. For the TiO2/CdSe/CdS electrode, the PL lifetime of CdSe exhibits an excitation-wavelength-dependent behavior. A shorter excitation wavelength leads to a longer PL lifetime of CdSe. This additional long lifetime is ascribed to the rapid carrier transfer from the photoexcited carriers in CdS layer into the CdSe layer. On the contrary, the PL lifetime of CdSe is independent of the excitation wavelength in the TiO2/CdS/CdSe electrode, indicating that the excited electrons in the CdS layer did not inject into the CdSe layer. This observation confirms that the charge transfer from the cosensitizers toward the TiO2 is much more efficient in the TiO2/CdS/CdSe electrode rather than in the TiO2/CdSe/CdS electrode.

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Highly efficient quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (QS-DSSCs) are fabricated using nanocomposite gel electrolytes and applied under room light conditions (200 lx). To obtain high energy conversion efficiency in QS-DSSCs, the important components of the DSSC are systematically optimized based on their performance in liquid-state DSSCs. It shows that the liquid cell using the 3-methoxypropionitrile-based cobalt electrolyte has higher efficiency (18.91%) than the cell using the acetonitrile-based electrolyte (17.82%) under 200 lx illumination due to the higher charge recombination resistance at the photoelectrode/electrolyte interface for the 3-methoxypropionitrile system. Poly­(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) is utilized as the gelator of the liquid electrolytes to prepare polymer gel electrolytes. Furthermore, to improve the performance of the QS-DSSCs, different metal oxide nanoparticles are introduced as nanofillers of the polymer gel electrolytes. It shows that the zinc oxide nanofillers have a superior performance in increasing the cell efficiency and the energy conversion efficiencies of the QS-DSSCs are higher than those of the corresponding liquid cells. By regulating the concentration of the zinc oxide nanofillers, the efficiency of the 3-methoxypropionitrile based QS-DSSC can achieve a value of 20.11% under 200 lx illumination. This QS-DSSC has a long-term stability at 35 °C.

Power generation in indoor environments is the next step in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) evolution. To achieve this goal, a critical recombination route which is usually inhibited by the TiCl4-derived blocking layers (BLs), that is, charge transfer at the fluorine-doped tin oxide substrate/electrolyte interface, is of concern. In this study, we demonstrate that because of low surface coverage, the conventional TiCl4 BLs are unable to suppress such electron leakage, thus limiting the photovoltaic performance of Co­(bpy)3 2+/3+-mediated DSSCs (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine) under ambient lighting. On the other hand, by introducing compact BLs prepared by spray pyrolysis, the DSSCs show lower dark current and operate efficiently not only under high-intensity sunlight but also under ambient light conditions. The better blocking function of the compact BL is verified by the cyclic voltammetry; other thin-film preparation methods, except for the common TiCl4 treatment, are anticipated to realize a similar blocking effect. This study illustrates that dense thin film with a predominant blocking function is highly required as the BL for DSSCs under low-light conditions, and this concept will pave the way for more development of indoor DSSCs.

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High performance printable electrolytes are developed using PEO, PVDF, and TiO2 nanofillers for dye-sensitized solar cell applications.

Commercial carbon black can replace expensive catalysts as a low cost highly electrocatalytic counter electrode material for Co(iii)/(ii)-mediated DSSC applications.