Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells that use an Aqueous Choline Chloride‐Based Deep Eutectic Solvent as Effective Electrolyte Solution

Abstract

Dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) that use an aqueous (40 % w/w water content) choline chloride based deep eutectic solvent as an electrolyte medium have been investigated. The joint combination of the eutectic mixture and an appropriate hydrophilic sensitizer afforded a DSSC with a power conversion efficiency comparable to that using the same electrolyte composition but with conventional, toxic, and volatile solvents as the medium, which thereby paves the way to a new generation of eco‐friendly, nature‐inspired, low‐cost solar devices.

Designing Eco‐Sustainable Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells by the Use of a Menthol‐Based Hydrophobic Eutectic Solvent as an Effective Electrolyte Medium

“…The PCE of the eutectic‐based cell was 2.5 %. These data well compare with our previous report on hydrophilic DES in DSSCs, thus confirming the suitability of HESs in DSSCs . The unconventional HES brings a number of advantages, such as the use of routine alkyl‐substituted record DSSC sensitizers, but without depressing the overall efficiency of the cell.…”

“…The efficiencies match the different photocurrents measured. The shape of the IPCE spectrum also closely resembles that of the device containing the hydrophilic DES, however, with an enhancement in the photoconversion likely due to a better charge transport in the electrolyte.…”

“…DSSC cells have been prepared using PTZ‐ALK as a sensitizer in the presence of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) as a disaggregating co‐adsorbent in a 1:1 dye:CDCA ratio, as optimized in our previous work on DSSCs using the same dye . A 2.5 μm‐thick transparent TiO 2 layer has been selected as the active layer because it gave the best results in our previous work on DES‐based DSSCs . Other thicknesses and opaque active layers and dye:CDCA ratios were tested but the results were worse than those of the selected conditions (Tables S1 and S2 in the Supporting Information).…”

“…[23] Our efforts of late have focusedo nt he developmento f more environmentally friendly DSSCs, by combining highly hydrophilic choline chloride-based DESs with as pecifically designed hydrophilic photosensitizer,w hich showedP CEs up to 1.9 %a t0 .5 sun, thereby comparable with the use of ac onventional organic VOC medium or water under the same conditions. [24] Buildingo nt hese studies, in this report we disclose the first use in the field of solar energy of am enthol-based hydrophobic eutectics olvent (HES) as an alternative and promising eco-friendly and low-cost mediumf or liquid DSSCs exhibiting PV efficiency,w hich compares well with VOC-based DSSCs. It is worth underlying that the employmentofa nh ydrophobic, in place of the more commonh ydrophilic, mixture allows the use of conventional, hydrophobic dyes as DSSC sensitizers, including the most efficient systems reported in the literature.…”

Eine wasserhaltige Organokaliumverbindung basierend auf Bis(4,6‐tert‐Butylbenzoxazol‐2‐yl)methanid und ihre unerwartete Hydrolysebeständigkeit

“…[4] Ein Beispiel füre inen sogenannten Wassereffekt auf die Enantioselektivitäteiner Reaktion stellt die asymmetrische,d urch Lithiumdiisopropylamid (LDA) vermittelte Synthese des Krebsmedikaments Lonafarnib dar.Im entscheidenden Alkylierungsschritt mit einem LDA·THF-Komplex konnte hier nur durch die Zugabe von Wasser die grçßte Ausbeute und der hçchste Enantiomerenüberschuss (ee)(beide 95 %) erzielt werden. [19][20][21] Erst kürzlich konnte sogar über die bis dato präzedenzlose Verwendung puren Wassers als einziges Reaktionsmedium in nucleophilen Additionsreaktionen von Grignard-und Organolithiumreagenzien an Imine,N itrile und Carbonylverbindungenb erichtet werden. [5] 1993 wurde zudem von Wipf et al über den entscheidenden Einfluss stçchiometrischer Mengen Wasser auf die Reaktionsgeschwindigkeit der Carboaluminierung von Alkinen berichtet.…”