Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells for Efficient Solar and Artificial Light Conversion

Abstract

Progress in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) has been benchmarked with N719 dye-based devices. However, power conversion efficiency (PCE) improvements performed in low-energy-performing devices cannot be extrapolated to high-performing ones. This points to the need for using a high PCE reference DSSC device, which preferably should be possible for preparation using readily available commercial reactants and parts. This study reports an optimized DSSC prepared with commercial reactants, displaying a PCE of up to 9.84% under simulated solar light and of 28.7% under artificial room light. The efficient light harvesting in the photoanode and electron recombination suppression in the photoanode/electrolyte interface were systematically optimized; the thickness and light-scattering ability of the photoanode mesoporous layers were tuned to maximize light harvesting and minimize the recombination losses. Electron back recombination with electrolyte was minimized using a TiO2 blocking layer and treating the mesoporous layer of TiO2 with TiCl4. Finally, despite the use of a light-scattering TiO2 coating over the mesoporous layer, the use of a light reflection layer applied to the back of the devices proved to improve the PCE further.

A 25 cm2 Solar Redox Flow Cell: Facing the Engineering Challenges of Upscaling

“…Each dye‐sensitized solar cell was fabricated following a procedure described elsewhere. [ 73 ] Briefly, the photoanode and cathode were prepared on previously cleaned FTO‐coated glass substrates (TEC‐7; 2.2 mm thick, 7 Ω sq −1 , Solaronix). The rectangular (1 × 1.5 cm 2 ) photoanodes were produced by screen printing a commercial TiO 2 paste (30NR‐D and 18NR‐AO, Greatcell Solar) followed by sintering at 500 °C for 1 h. Then, a TiCl 4 treatment was performed by dipping the films in 0.04 m aqueous solution of TiCl 4 for 30 min at 70 °C.…”

Synergy of co-sensitizers in a copper bipyridyl redox system for efficient and cost-effective dye-sensitized solar cells in solar and ambient light

“…A PCE of 29.2% was achieved, which is clearly higher than any other established photovoltaic technology including silicon and thin-lms, and even amongst the highest achieved with DSSCs tested under similar conditions. [6][7][8][9]54 Another DSSC was fabricated and tested to conrm the reproducibility, where the slightly lower ff led to an avg. PCE of 28% with the 2 cells (Fig.…”

“…Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are expected to meet this category of photovoltaic applications, not only due to their ease of fabrication, but also based on recent reports which reveal their superior performance to any other established photovoltaic technology when tested in indoor-light conditions. [7][8][9] The DSSC is assembled from multiple components, namely the transparent conductive oxide window, [10][11][12][13] n-type oxide, [14][15][16][17] dye, 18-21 electrolyte [22][23][24][25] and cathode. [26][27][28][29] Dedicated investigation on each component is the key towards optimization of the device as a whole.…”

Development of a Self-Sufficient LoRaWAN Sensor Node with Flexible and Glass Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Modules Harvesting Energy from Diffuse Low-Intensity Solar Radiation

“…Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are among the most promising new generation thinfilm photovoltaic devices [1]. Due to their nanocrystalline nature and the fact that transport processes in these cells are mainly due to diffusion, DSSCs' potential may be exploited, especially at a low intensity, such as in the case of outdoor diffuse solar radiation [2] and indoor visible artificial light [3]. In particular, they may represent alternative, low-cost energy harvesting solutions specially designed to achieve the best performance under diffuse light with low intensities for the powering of wireless sensors nodes (WSNs) within the context of the Internet of Things (IoT).…”