The use of porphyrin-based photosensitizers with superior light-harvesting properties has enabled the power conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) to reach 13 % under full sun illumination. However, a major limitation of such devices corresponds to the volatility of the solvent used so far for the electrolyte, which prevents practical applications. In this work, we describe a porphyrin-ionic liquid DSC, which not only affords the highest efficiency reported to date, but is also stable for more than 300 h under continuous full sun illumination at 60 °C. Furthermore, we identify a previously unreported pathway for device degradation, and show that the addition of N-methylbenzimidazole and a thiocyanate salt to the electrolyte is critical to obtaining long-lived devices.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201403225 | DOI Listing |
Materials (Basel)
January 2025
Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
Dye-sensitization is a promising strategy to improve the light absorption and photoactivity abilities of wide-bandgap semiconductors, like TiO. For effective water-splitting photoanodes with no sacrificial agents, the electrochemical potential of the dye must exceed the thermodynamic threshold needed for the oxygen evolution reaction. This study investigates two promising organic cyanoacrylic dyes, designed to meet that criterion by means of theoretical calculations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMaterials (Basel)
January 2025
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Dong Hwa University, Hualien 974301, Taiwan.
This work proposes dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with various photoanode designs. A hydrothermal method is used to synthesize hydrangea-shaped TiO (H-TiO) aggregates. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of H-TiO reveals only an anatase phase.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLangmuir
January 2025
Surface Science Laboratory, Graduate School of Engineering, Toyota Technological Institute, 2-12-1, Hisakata, Tempaku, Nagoya, Aichi 468-8511, Japan.
Hydrogen-substituted graphdiyne (HsGDY) is a two-dimensional material with an sp-sp carbon skeleton featuring a band gap and a porous structure that enhances ion diffusion. In previous reports, HsGDY growth was limited to metal substrates such as Cu, which then required transfer. Here, we developed a sandwich method that allows HsGDY to be grown directly on the target substrate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnal Chim Acta
February 2025
Department of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, Simrol, Khandwa Road, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, 453552, India.
Background: The demand for sustainable energy solutions has increased interest in natural microalgal dyes as photosensitizers in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). This study addresses the critical issue of maximizing dye integrity and yield during extraction, particularly the degradation that occurs at temperatures above 60 °C. Our investigation of dye extraction from Asterarcys quadricellulare and Scenedesmus sp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Appl Mater Interfaces
January 2025
Université de Lorraine and CNRS, LPCT, UMR 7019, F-54000 Nancy, France.
The efficient functioning of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is governed by the interplay of three essential components: the semiconductor, the dye, and the electrolyte. While the impact of the electrolyte composition on the device's performance has been extensively studied in n-type DSSCs, much less is known about p-type-based devices. Here, we investigate the effect of potential-determining ions on the energetics and stability of dye-sensitized NiO surfaces by using electrochemical, ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, and ab initio electronic structure calculations.
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