Solar plastic DSSCs

Attempts have been made to replace the components with new electrode materials, alternative sensitizers and different types of electrolytes. In most cases studies were aimed at achieving advanced properties and applying DSSC in order to meet the requirements of commercial applications and/or to reduce the production cost. An important issue in cost reduction is the fabrication of DSSC on flexible, transparent, conductive plastic substrates [190-192]. The nanocrystalline Ti02 film is considered to be the most promising material for the electrode of dye-sensitized solar cells to generate high performance [193-195]. 

Transient absorption spectroscopy was employed to study electron-transfer dynamics in solar cells incorporating the polymer electrolyte based on EO copolymers with and without plasticizer. Electron-transfer kinetics were collected as a function of electrolyte composition, white light illumination, and device voltage.The results were further correlated with the current/ voltage characteristics of the solar cells. There are two main recombination pathways which can cause loss in DSSC efficiency electrons injected into the T102 conduction band can recombine with either dye cations or with the redox electrolyte (equations 10.8 and 10.9, respectively). 

Recently it was shown that the incorporation of the additive 2,6-bis(iV-pyrazolyl) pyridine to the electrolyte of PEO, KI and h improved both the interfacial contact and the ionic conductivity in DSSC. X-ray diffraction and impedance spectroscopy results have shown that this additive forms a stable complex with the polymer matrix and decreases the crystallinity of PEO. Owing to the coordinating and plasticizing effect of this additive, the ionic conductivity of the polymer electrolyte was enhanced. The DSSC assembled presented / = 21 mA cm , Toe = 0.70 V and ij = 8.8% under direct solar irradiation of 80 mW cm . ... 

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