Photovoltaic applications Subject

Ionic liquids are a class of solvents and they are the subject of keen research interest in chemistry (Freemantle, 1998). Hydrophobic ionic liquids with low melting points (from -30°C to ambient temperature) have been synthesized and investigated, based on 1,3-dialkyl imidazolium cations and hydrophobic anions. Other imidazolium molten salts with hydrophilic anions and thus water-soluble are also of interest. NMR and elemental analysis have characterized the molten salts. Their density, melting point, viscosity, conductivity, refractive index, electrochemical window, thermal stability, and miscibility with water and organic solvents were determined. The influence of the alkyl substituents in 1,2, 3, and 4(5)-positions on the imidazolium cation on these properties has been scrutinized. Viscosities as low as 35 cP (for l-ethyl-3-methylimi-dazolium bis((trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl)amide (bis(triflyl)amide) and trifluoroacetate) and conductivities as high as 9.6 mS/cm were obtained. Photophysical probe studies were carried out to establish more precisely the solvent properties of l-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bis((trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl)amide. The hydrophobic molten salts are promising solvents for electrochemical, photovoltaic, and synthetic applications (Bon-hote et al., 1996). 

The final two chapters deal with applications (in the scientific as well as commercial sense) of CD films. As already mentioned, photovoltaic cells is the one subject that has given CD a push in the last decade, while photoelectrochem-ical cells was probably the main driving force for such studies in the decade before that. Chapter 9 deals with Photovoltaic and Photoelectrochemical Properties. 

As mentioned earlier, the DSSC is a very attractive and promising device for solar cell applications that has been intensively investigated worldwide, and its photovoltaic mechanism has also intensively investigated [11-20]. Moreover, commercial applications of the DSSC have been under investigation. In this chapter, we describe the DSSC, including its component materials, structure, working mechanism, efficient preparation procedure, current researches, and long-term stabilities. We also introduce the subjects for improvement of its performance and commercial applications. 

Applications of undoped (semiconducting) CPs fill only one line in Table 2. None has reached the market yet, and as for other classes of CPs, several applications that were advocated in the past have failed to meet the necessary requirements. In the early 1980s, for instance, a significant amount of work was invested in the study of CP photovoltaic cells [130], but the subject is no longer active. 

Doped ZnO ZnO is a simple oxide crystallising in the hexagonal wurtzite structure. This oxide shows a broad spectrum of properties and has been the subject of intensive research for applications as a photocalyst, a magnetic semiconductor and also very recently as a piezoelectric, For electronic properties, the doped ZnO oxides exhibit a n-type character. It is also a TCO with a bandgap of 3.5 eV which is used in applications such as photovoltaic cells or flat... 

Electrically conducting polymers have been a subject of extensive studies in view of both academic interest and potential technological applications. This chapter describes the synthesis and properties of electrically conducting polymers and their applications as functional materials, such as electrode materials for secondary batteries, photoactive materials for photovoltaic devices, electrochromic materials, and materials for use in organic electroluminescent devices. 

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