Jianmin Lin

Quasi-Solid State Dye-sensitized Solar Cells Based on Polyvinylpyrrolidone With Ionic Liquid

Abstract A new ionic liquid polymer gel electrolyte containing 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide, polyvinylpyrrolidone, potassium iodide, and iodine has been prepared and characterized. Controlling the concentration of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide, KI, and I2 with 0.9 M, 0.5 M, and 0.12 M, respectively, the ionic liquid polymer gel electrolyte attains the maximum ionic conductivity (at 30°C) of 2.3 mS cm−1. Based on the ionic liquid polymer gel electrolyte, quasi-solid state dye-sensitized solar cell was fabricated and its overall light-to-electricity energy conversion efficiency of 5.41% was achieved under irradiation of AM1.5 (100 mW cm−2). The dye-sensitized solar cell employing the ionic liquid polymer gel electrolyte shows a more stable photovoltaic performance than a dye-sensitized solar cell assembled with liquid electrolyte.

Photovoltage enhancement of dye sensitised solar cells by using ZnO modified TiO2 electrode

Abstract A ZnO modified TiO2 (ZnO/TiO2) film was prepared by immersing TiO2 electrodes in Zn(Ac)2 aqueous solution. The open circuit voltage of a dye sensitised solar cell (DSSC) with the ZnO/TiO2 film electrode has a dramatic enhancement, compared to the DSSC with the TiO2 film electrode. However, the short circuit current density of the DSSC with the ZnO/TiO2 film electrode is lower than that with TiO2 electrode. The film electrodes were characterised by SEM, EDX and UV-vis, and the photoelectric performance of DSSCs were measured. The photovoltage enhancement is attributed to the formation of a flat-band potential energy barrier by ZnO at TiO2/electrolyte interface. The decline of the photocurrent with ZnO/TiO2 film electrode is due to poor dye absorption on larger particles of ZnO.

Fabrication and photocatalytic property of Pt-intercalated layered perovskite niobates H1−xLaNb2−xMoxO7 (x = 0–0.15)

H(1-x)LaNb(2-x)Mo(x)O(7) was prepared by solid-state reaction followed by an ion-exchange reaction. Pt was incorporated in the interlayer of H(1-x)LaNb(2-x)Mo(x)O(7) by the stepwise intercalation reaction. The H(1-x)LaNb(2-x)Mo(x)O(7) showed hydrogen production activity and the activities were greatly enhanced by Pt co-incorporating. The x value in H(1-x)LaNb(2-x)Mo(x)O(7) had an important effect on the photocatalytic activity of the catalyst. When the x=0.05, the H(1-x)LaNb(2-x)Mo(x)O(7)/Pt showed a photocatalytic activity of 80 cm(3)h(-1)g(-1) hydrogen evolution rate in 10 vol.% methanol solution under irradiation from a 100 W mercury lamp at 333K.

Two‐step synthesis of superabsorbent conducting hydrogel based on poly(acrylamide‐pyrrole) with interpenetrating network structure

Abstract Poly(acrylamide‐pyrrole) conducting polymer was prepared by a two‐step aqueous polymerisation. First, the polyacrymide superabsorbent polymer was synthesised by a routine aqueous polymerisation. Second, pyrrole monomers were absorbed inside the polyacrylamide network and followed by a polymerisation to form a poly(acrylamide‐pyrrole) polymer. An interpenetrating network structure model with a three‐dimensional network of polyacrylamide and a one‐dimensional chain of polypyrrole for poly(acrylamide‐pyrrole) conducting hydrogel was proposed. The conductivity of the hydrogel depends on the polypyrrole conjugated chains. After preparation conditions were optimised, the hydrogel possessed a conductivity of 21·33 mS cm−1.

Improving Photoelectrical Performance of a Dye Sensitized Solar Cell by Doping Rare-earth Oxide Y2O3:(Eu3+, Gd3+)

Abstract Y2O3:(Eu3+,Gd3+) is introduced into a dye-sensitized solar cell. As a luminescence medium, Y2O3:(Eu3+,Gd3+) improves light harvest via conversion luminescence process and increases photocurrent; as a p-type dopant, Y2O3:(Eu3+,Gd3+) elevates photovoltage. The cells light-to-electric energy conversion efficiency enhances 18.6% compared to the cell without Y2O3:(Eu3+,Gd3+) doping.

Low cost method to obtain counter electrode for dye sensitised solar cells

Abstract In this paper, nanoscaled polypyrrole particles were synthesised using I2 as dopant and oxidant, which were subsequently used to prepare polypyrrole/epoxy resin composition counter electrode for construction of dye sensitised solar cells (DSSCs). The results of photoelectric properties measurement revealed that the open-circuit voltage V oc was 0·525 V, short circuit current density J sc was 0·90 mA cm–2, fill factor FF was 0·45 and overall energy conversion efficiency η was 0·22% respectively. The introduction of polypyrrole/epoxy resin counter electrode decreased the demand of fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrate of DSSCs, which proposed a novel idea for the development of counter electrodes.

A Highly Efficient Dye-sensitized Solar Cell with a Blocking Layer and TiCl4 Treatment to Suppress Dark Reaction

A highly photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cell with energy conversion efficiency about 9.20% is obtained through the addition of a blocking layer and TiCl4 treatment on the TiO2 film to suppress dark reaction. It is found that the addition of a 1.0-μm blocking layer in the photoelectrode can improve the energy conversion efficiency of a dye-sensitized solar cell from 7.41 to 7.92%, and the further 80°C TiCl4 aqueous solution treatment on the TiO2 film can also obviously enhance the energy conversion efficiency from 7.92 to 9.20%, due to the efficient suppression of dark reaction in the dye-sensitized solar cell. Thus, the addition of a blocking layer and TiCl4 treatment on the TiO2 film is an efficient way for fabricating highly photovoltaic performance of the dye-sensitized solar cell.

The Preparation of TiO2 Nanocrystal by Repetitious Hydrothermal Method and Its Application in Flexible Dye-sensitized Solar Cells

Abstract TiO2 nanocrystal is prepared by a repetitious hydrothermal crystallization method. Based on the TiO2 nanocrystal, a flexible photoanode film and flexible dye-sensitized solar cell are assembled at low temperatures. The influences of agglutinant, low temperature treatment, and UV irradiation on the photoelectric properties of the flexible cells are investigated. The dye-sensitized solar cells using FTO/glass and ITO/PEN as substrates achieve light-to-electric energy conversion efficiencies of 4.47 and 2.92%, respectively.