Jilian Nei de Freitas

New insights into dye-sensitized solar cells with polymer electrolytes

Polymer electrolytes or gel polymer electrolytes are interesting alternatives to substitute liquid electrolytes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). The interest in this research field is growing continuously, reflected in the increase in the number of papers published each year concerning these materials. This feature article presents a brief review of the history and development of polymer electrolytes aiming at applications in DSSC. Recent improvements achieved by modifications of the composition and by introduction of additives such as inorganic nanofillers, organic molecules and ionic liquids are described. The stabilities of DSSC assembled with these materials are also discussed and further improvements that can be introduced to maximize performance of the solar cell, such as photoelectrode modification, will also be presented.

Electrochemical and Structural Characterization of Polymer Gel Electrolytes Based on a PEO Copolymer and an Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquid for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Polymer electrolytes based on mixtures of poly(ethylene oxide-co-propylene oxide) and 1-methyl-3-propyl-imidazolium iodide (MPII) were investigated, aiming at their application in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). The interactions between the copolymer and the ionic liquid were analyzed by infrared spectroscopy and (1)H NMR. The results show interactions between the ether oxygen in the polymer and the hydrogen in the imidazolium cations. The ionic conductivities, electrochemical behaviors, and thermal properties of the electrolytes containing different concentrations of MPII were investigated. The electrolyte containing 70 wt % MPII presented the highest ionic conductivity (2.4 x 10(-3) S cm(-1)) and a diffusion coefficient of 1.9 x 10(-7) cm(2) s(-1). The influence of LiI addition to the electrolytes containing different concentrations of MPII was also investigated. The DSSC assembled with the electrolyte containing 70 wt % MPII showed an efficiency of 3.84% at 100 mW cm(-2). The stability of the devices for a period of 30 days was also evaluated using sealed cells. The devices assembled with the electrolyte containing less ionic liquid showed to be more stable.

The effects of CdSe incorporation into bulk heterojunction solar cells

Hybrid solar cells based on CdSe nanoparticles and a PPV-type polymer containing fluorene and thiophene units (PFT) were investigated. The CdSe/PFT devices showed very low photocurrent and fill factor values, which was attributed to the poor charge transport in the TOPO-capped CdSe nanoparticle phase. Thus, ternary systems based on mixtures of PFT/CdSe and the fullerene derivative PCBM were investigated. The CdSe:PCBM ratio was varied, and nanoparticles with different sizes were also used. It was observed that for the optimized composition of 20 wt% PFT + 40 wt% CdSe + 40 wt% PCBM the devices presented higher photocurrents and efficiencies. The photophysical and electrochemical properties and microscopy images (AFM and HRTEM) of the ternary systems were systematically investigated to elucidate the mechanism of action of the inorganic nanoparticles in these ternary hybrid devices.

Application of a composite polymer electrolyte based on montmorillonite in dye-sensitized solar cells

In this work we report for the first time the preparation and characterization of a novel composite polymer electrolyte based on montmorillonite clay and a poly(ethylene oxide) derivative plasticized with g-butyrolactone and its application in dye sensitized solar cells. Although the plasticizers enhance the ionic conductivity of the polymer electrolytes, they compromise the mechanical stability of the whole system and make the practical application of these devices difficult. Films with composite polymer electrolytes containing different clay content were analyzed by thermal and mechanical analysis and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. We observed that the addition of the inorganic particles to the polymer matrix promotes not only an enhancement in the mechanical properties but also contributes to the increase the of ionic conductivity of the system. A solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell was assembled for this first time with the electrolyte containing montmorillonite clay, displaying efficiencies higher than 3% at 10 mW cm-2.

Synthesis and characterization of ZnO and ZnO:Ga films and their application in dye-sensitized solar cells.

Highly crystalline ZnO and Ga-modified zinc oxide (ZnO:Ga) nanoparticles containing 1, 3 and 5 atom% of Ga3+ were prepared by precipitation method at low temperature. The films were characterized by XRD, BET, XPS and SEM. No evidence of zinc gallate formation (ZnGa2O4), even in the samples containing 5 atom% of gallium, was detected by XRD. XPS data revealed that Ga is present into the ZnO matrix as Ga3+, according to the characteristic binding energies. The particle size decreased as the gallium level was increased as observed by SEM, which might be related to a faster hydrolysis reaction rate. The smaller particle size provided films with higher porosity and surface area, enabling a higher dye loading. When these films were applied to dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) as photoelectrodes, the device based on ZnO:Ga 5 atom% presented an overall conversion efficiency of 6% (at 10 mW cm(-2)), a three-fold increase compared to the ZnO-based DSSCs under the same conditions. To our knowledge, this is one of the highest efficiencies reported so far for ZnO-based DSSCs. Transient absorption (TAS) study of the photoinduced dynamics of dye-sensitized ZnO:Ga films showed that the higher the gallium content, the higher the amount of dye cation formed, while no significant change on the recombination dynamics was observed. The study indicates that Ga-modification of nanocrystalline ZnO leads to an improvement of photocurrent and overall efficiency in the corresponding device.

Dye-sensitized solar cells and solar module using polymer electrolytes: Stability and performance investigations

We present recent results on solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell research using a polymer electrolyte based on a poly(ethylene oxide) derivative. The stability and performance of the devices have been improved by a modification in the method of assembly of the cells and by the addition of plasticizers in the electrolyte. After 30 days of solar irradiation (100 mW cm-2) no changes in the cells efficiency were observed using this new method. The effect of the active area size on cell performance and the first results obtained for the first solar module composed of 4.5 cm2 solid-state solar cells are also presented.

Connecting the (quantum) dots: towards hybrid photovoltaic devices based on chalcogenide gels

CdSe(ZnS) core(shell) aerogels were prepared from the assembly of quantum dots into mesoporous colloidal networks. The sol-gel method produces inorganic particle interfaces with low resistance to electrical transport while maintaining quantum-confinement. The photoelectrochemical properties of aerogels and their composites with poly(3-hexylthiophene) are reported for the first time.

Hybrid nanostructured solar cells based on the incorporation of inorganic nanoparticles in polymer-fullerene mixtures

Ternary systems based on mixtures of polymer, PCBM and CdSe nanoparticles were investigated. The photophysical and electrochemical properties were modulated by changing the size of the inorganic nanoparticles and their effects on the performance of the solar cells were analyzed. At the optimized conditions, the presence of the nanoparticles increased the photocurrent and photovoltage, improving the efficiency of the devices. A complete study on the morphologic effects induced by the presence of these nanoparticles was performed using AFM, HR-TEM and optical microscopy techniques.

Hybrid photovoltaic devices based on chalcogenide nanostructures

Solar cells based on the combination of conjugated polymers and fullerenes are among the most promising devices for low-cost solar energy conversion. Significant improvements in the efficiency have been accomplished, but some bottlenecks still persist. The substitution of fullerenes by inorganic semiconductor nanoparticles, especially CdSe and CdS, has been investigated as a promising alternative. In this work, we highlight two aspects to be considered in the pursuit of more efficient devices. By comparing different polymer/CdSe systems, we show how the polymer structure can be used to tune the charge transfer from the polymer to CdSe. Even if this process is efficient, the charges will be trapped in the inorganic phase if the charge carrier transport of the nanoparticles is poor. An elegant way to improve the electron hopping is to form an electrically integrated network of nanoparticles. The use of chalcogenide aerogels is a new alternative which may be interesting for applications requiring maximal transport of charge and is also discussed here.

Incorporation of Inorganic Nanoparticles into Bulk Heterojunction Organic Solar Cells

Organic solar cells are among the most promising devices for cheap solar energy conversion. The classical device consists of a bulk heterojunction of a conjugated polymer/fullerene network. Many research groups have focused on the replacement of the fullerene derivative with other materials, especially inorganic nanoparticles, due to their easily tunable properties, such as size/shape, absorption/emission and charge carrier transport. In this chapter, we highlight recent progress on the incorporation of inorganic semiconductor nanoparticles and metal nanoparticles into organic solar cells. The role of these nanoparticles in the improvement of photocurrent, voltage and efficiency is discussed.