Electrodes/Electrolyte Interfaces in the Presence of a Surface‐Modified Photopolymer Electrolyte: Application in Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

Abstract

Since hundreds of studies on photoanodes and cathodes show that the electrode/electrolyte interfaces represent a key aspect at the base of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) performances, it is reported here that these interfaces can be managed by a smart design of the spatial composition of quasi-solid electrolytes. By means of a cheap, rapid, and green process of photoinduced polymerization, composition-tailored polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) with siloxane-enriched surfaces are prepared, and their properties are thoroughly described. When assembled in DSSCs, the interfacial action promoted by the composition-tailored PEMs enhances the photocurrent and fill factor values, thus increasing the global photovoltaic conversion efficiency with respect to the non-modified PEMs. Moreover, the presence of the siloxane-chain-enriched surface increases the hydrophobicity and reduces the water vapor permeation into the device, thus enhancing the cell's durability.

Recyclable and effective Pd/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) catalyst for hydrodechlorination of 4-chlorophenol in aqueous solution

“…The precipitation-washing cycle was repeated two more times. The product was dried at 50°C in a vacuum oven for 24 h. PNIPAM can also be synthesized by a mild photo-polymerization method without high temperature, solvents and catalysts [21,22], which should be considered in the future preparation of polymer support.…”

Visible‐Light Direct Conversion of Ethanol to 1,1‐Diethoxyethane and Hydrogen over a Non‐Precious Metal Photocatalyst

“…The conversion of solar energy to electrical and chemical energy has become the hot topic of research recently . Converting water into renewable hydrogen (H 2 ) fuel by photocatalytic water splitting, inspired by natural photosynthesis, has been considered as a promising avenue to settle the energy and environmental issues, attracting enthusiastic attention in recent decades .…”

Passivation of Interfaces in Thin Film Solar Cells: Understanding the Effects of a Nanostructured Rear Point Contact Layer

“…Furthermore, the study of interface defects and its recombination velocity is important for all types of solar cells like dye-sensitized solar cells, [7,8] CdTe, [9,10] and perovskite solar cells, [11][12][13][14] as an example. Hence, the study of interface passivation is of the utmost importance if we want to design new CIGS device architectures that permit achieving even higher levels of electrical performance.…”