Efficiency enhancement by mixed cation effect in dye-sensitized solar cells with a PVdF based gel polymer electrolyte

• Main Authors: Mohd Arof, Abdul Kariem, Aziz, M. F., Mohd Noor, Mazni, Careem, M. A., Bandara, L. R A K, Thotawatthage, C. A., Rupasinghe, W. N S, Dissanayake, M. A.K.Lakshman
• Format: Article
• Language: English; English
• Published: Elsevier Limited 2014
• Subjects: QP Physiology; TK Electrical engineering. Electronics Nuclear engineering
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/58500/1/58500_Efficiency%20enhancement_complete%20article.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/58500/2/58500_Efficiency%20enhancement_scopus.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/58500/; http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S036031991301728X?via%3Dihub

This paper reports the effect of using a mixed iodide salt system with two dissimilar cations to enhance the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells made with polyvinylidenefluoride (PVdF) based gel electrolyte. Instead of a single iodide salt, a mixture of potassium iodide (KI) with a small K+ cation and tetrapropylammonium iodide (Pr4NI) with a bulky Pr 4N+ cation were used to provide the required iodide ion conductivity. Solar cells of configuration FTO/TiO2/Dye/electrolyte/ Pt/FTO were fabricated using a mesoporous TiO2 electrode sensitized with a Ruthenium dye (N719). With identical electrolyte compositions, the cells with KI and Pr4NI alone gave efficiencies of 2.37% and 2.90% respectively. The cell with the mixed iodide system, KI:Pr4NI = 16.6:83.4 (% weight ratio), however, showed an enhanced efficiency of 3.92% with a short circuit current density of 9.16 mA cm-2, open circuit voltage of 674.4 mV and a fill factor of 63.4%.