Publication

Effect of TiO2 Photoanodes Morphology and Dye Structure on Dye-Regeneration Kinetics Investigated by Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy

Abstract

The dye regeneration in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is improved by optimizing the charge separation at the level of the sensitized semiconductor treatment of the mesoporous electrode by TiCl4 that passivates the surface for back electron transfer reactions. The dye-regeneration kinetics is analyzed for DN216- and D358-sensitized porous TiO2 electrodes with and without a TiCl4 treatment by means of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). Different mass transport limitation of the [Co(bpy)3]3+ mediator through the porous electrode is found for the comparison of the structurally similar dyes but cannot be detected for the thin layer introduced by the TiCl4 treatment. Phototransient measurements are conducted directly in the SECM cell without any intermediated sample manipulation. The results from those measurements corroborate the findings from steady state SECM measurements

About this result
This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.
Related concepts (25)
Dye-sensitized solar cell
A dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC, DSC, DYSC or Grätzel cell) is a low-cost solar cell belonging to the group of thin film solar cells. It is based on a semiconductor formed between a photo-sensitized anode and an electrolyte, a photoelectrochemical system. The modern version of a dye solar cell, also known as the Grätzel cell, was originally co-invented in 1988 by Brian O'Regan and Michael Grätzel at UC Berkeley and this work was later developed by the aforementioned scientists at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) until the publication of the first high efficiency DSSC in 1991.
Thin-film solar cell
Thin-film solar cells are made by depositing one or more thin layers (thin films or TFs) of photovoltaic material onto a substrate, such as glass, plastic or metal. Thin-film solar cells are typically a few nanometers (nm) to a few microns (μm) thick–much thinner than the wafers used in conventional crystalline silicon (c-Si) based solar cells, which can be up to 200 μm thick. Thin-film solar cells are commercially used in several technologies, including cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS), and amorphous thin-film silicon (a-Si, TF-Si).
Hybrid solar cell
Hybrid solar cells combine advantages of both organic and inorganic semiconductors. Hybrid photovoltaics have organic materials that consist of conjugated polymers that absorb light as the donor and transport holes. Inorganic materials in hybrid cells are used as the acceptor and electron transporter in the structure. The hybrid photovoltaic devices have a potential for not only low-cost by roll-to-roll processing but also for scalable solar power conversion. Solar cells are devices that convert sunlight into electricity by the photovoltaic effect.
Show more
Related publications (34)

Illumination Time Dependent Learning in Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

Hoi Nok Tsao

Learning through vision is an essential skill for intelligent machines. In an attempt to implement this highly complex feature at low energy cost, a dye-sensitized solar cell is proposed that learns using illumination time as a cue. Particularly, the devic ...
AMER CHEMICAL SOC2018

An Unsymmetrical, Push-Pull Porphyrazine for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Michael Graetzel, Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin

An unsymmetrical, push-pull porphyrazine derivative bearing an isoindole-4-carboxylic acid moiety (TT112) is synthesized and incorporated in a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The device, which constitutes the first example of a porphyrazine-sensitized so ...
Wiley-V C H Verlag Gmbh2017

ABAB Phthalocyanines: Scaffolds for Building Unprecedented Donor-​π-​Acceptor Chromophores

Michael Graetzel

Unique donor-​π-​acceptor phthalocyanines have been synthesized through the asym. functionalization of an ABAB phthalocyanine, crosswise functionalized with two iodine atoms through Pd-​catalyzed cross-​coupling reactions with adequate electron-​donor and ...
2017
Show more