Xurui Xiao

High-Performance Plastic Platinized Counter Electrode via Photoplatinization Technique for Flexible Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

A photoplatinization technique was proposed to deposit Pt on a thin TiO(2) layer modified indium tin oxide-coated polyethylene naphthalate (ITO/PEN) substrate at low temperature (about 50 °C after 1 h of UV irradiation) for the first time. The fabrication process includes coating and hydrolyzing the tetra-n-butyl titanate to form a TiO(2)-modified layer and the photoplatinization of the modified substrate in H(2)PtCl(6)/2-propanol precursor solution under UV irradiation. The obtained platinized electrodes were used as counter electrodes (CE) for flexible dye-sensitized solar cells (FDSCs). The well-optimized platinized electrode showed high optical transmittance, up to 76.5% between 400 and 800 nm (T(av)), and the charge transfer resistance (R(ct)) was as low as 0.66 Ω cm(2). A series of characterizations also demonstrated the outstanding chemical/electrochemical durability and mechanical stability of the platinized electrode. The FDSCs with TiO(2)/Ti photoanodes and the obtained CEs achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) up to 8.12% under rear-side irradiation (AM 1.5 illumination, 100 mW cm(-2)). The obtained CEs were also employed in all-plastic bifacial DSCs. When irradiated from the rear side, the bifacial FDSC yielded a PCE of 6.26%, which approached 90% that of front-side irradiation (6.97%). Our study revealed that, apart from serving as a functional layer for deposition of Pt, the thin TiO(2) layer modification on ITO/PEN substrates also played an important role in improving the transparency and the mechanical properties of the CE. The effect of the thickness of the TiO(2) layer for Pt coating on the performance of the CE was also investigated.

Polymer electrolytes from PEO and novel quaternary ammonium iodides for dye-sensitized solar cells

Polymer electrolytes were prepared by blending high molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and a series of novel quaternary ammonium iodides, the polysiloxanes with oligo(oxyethylene) side chains and quaternary ammonium groups. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements ensured relatively low crystallinity when the quaternary ammonium iodides were incorporated into the PEO host. The ionic conductivity of these complexes was improved with the addition of plasticizers. The improvement in the ionic conductivity was determined by the polarity, viscosity and amounts of plasticizers. A plasticized electrolyte containing the novel quaternary ammonium iodide was successfully used in fabricating a quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell for the first time. The fill factor and energy conversion efficiency of the cell were calculated to be 0.68 and 1.39%, respectively.

A novel method for preparing platinized counter electrode of nanocrystalline dye-sensitized solar cells

The platinized FTO glass counter electrode was prepared by employing techniques of colloid preparation, Langmuir-Blodgett film and self-assembly. The present electrode had very low platinum loading, high catalytic activity for iodine/triiodide reduction reaction. Compared with the conventional counter electrodes used in nanocrystalline dye-sensitized solar cells, the present electrode had provided a much higher catalytic performance which was attributed to the structure of platinum nanoclusters distributed homogeneously on the electrode.

Optical spectra of CdSe nanocrystals under hydrostatic pressure

Optical spectra of CdSe nanocrystals are measured at room temperature under pressure ranging from 0 to 5.2 GPa. The exciton energies shift linearly with pressure below 5.2 GPa. The pressure coefficient is 27 meV GPa(-1) for small CdSe nanocrystals with the radius of 2.4 nm. With the approximation of a rigid-atomic pseudopotential, the pressure coefficients of the energy band are calculated. By using the hole effective-mass Hamiltonian for the semiconductors with wurtzite structure under various pressures, we study the exciton states and optical spectra for CdSe nanocrystals under hydrostatic pressure in detail. The intrinsic asymmetry of the hexagonal lattice structure and the effect of spin-orbit coupling on the hole states are investigated. The Coulomb interaction of the exciton states is also taken into account. It is found that the theoretical results are in good agreement with the experimental values.

Synthesis of TiO2 nanotubes film and its light scattering property

TiO2 nanotubes with diameters of 10 nm and lengths up to 600 nm were fabricated by directly using commercial TiO2 powders P25 as the precursors via sonication-hydrothermal combination approach. TiO2 nanotubes were characterized by means of X-ray powder diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), selected area electron diffraction pattern (SAED) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The light scattering property of film electrodes modified with TiO2 nanotubes was studied and revealed that TiO2 nanotubes can be used as the light scattering centers to increase the light absorption in dye-sensitized solar cells. The TiO2 nanotubes film electrodes mixed with 10% small nanoparticles TiO2 had both strong light scattering property and fine mechanical characteristics, and this kind of electrodes can be used as electrodes in improving the conversion efficiencies of dye-sensitized solar cells.

Nanocrystalline TiO2 thin film electrodes prepared by common pressure hydrothermal method at low temperature

Nanocrystalline TiO2 thin film electrodes have been prepared from mixed pastes of tetrabutyl titanate and nanocrystalline TiO2 particles by common pressure hydrothermal method at low temperature. The tetrabutyl titanate was hydrolyzed and crystallized into anatase TiO2 to interconnect nanocrystalline TiO2 particles and adhere them to conductive substrates, obtaining highly porous and mechanically stable TiO2 nanocrystalline film. The conversion efficiencies of the dye-sensitized solar cells based on prepared electrodes on conductive glass substrates and flexible substrates were 4.8% and 1.9% under illumination of 100 mW/cm2, respectively.

Quasi-solid-state nanocrystalline TiO2 solar cells using gel network polymer electrolytes based on polysiloxanes

A quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized nanocrystalline porous TiO2 film solar cell was fabricated using a novel gel network polymer electrolyte based on polysiloxanes with both polyethylene oxide internal plasticized side chains and quaternary ammonium groups. The cell exhibited better photoelectrical conversion performance under 60 mW/cm2 irradiation. The short photocurrent (Isc) of 5.0 mA/cm2 and open voltage (Voc) of 0.68 V were achieved, and the energy conversion efficiency (η) and fill factor (ff) were 3.4% and 0.60, respectively.

Light scattering characteristic of TiO2 nanocrystalline porous films

TiO2 nanocrystalline porous films consisting of binary particles mixture (mean diameters of 12 and 100 nm) are capable of increasing the light absorption due to the possession of large specific surface area and light scattering property. The simultaneous reduction of the film thickness leads to a decrease of the recombination loss during electron transport and an increase of the photocurrent efficiency.

Studies on the interfacial charge transfer processes of nanocrystalline CdSe thin film electrodes by intensity modulated photocurrent spectroscopy

Interfacial charge transfer kinetics of the nanocrystalline CdSe thin film electrodes have been studied in sodium polysulfide solutions by intensity modulated photocurrent spectroscopy (IMPS). The interfacial direct and indirect charge transfer and recombination processes were analyzed in terms of the parameters: normalized steady state photocurrents and surface state lifetimes obtained by measuring the IMPS responses under different applied potentials and different solution concentrations. IMPS responses of polycrystalline CdSe thin film electrodes were also presented for comparison.

Interfacial structure of nano-granular thin films

Abstract In this paper, some discussions are carried out based on several experimental results on the relationship between the interfacial structure of nano-granular films and their electronic or ionic conductivity characteristics. The studies showed that a film with excellent ionic implantation and electrochromic properties should, first of all, possess a structure on the nanoscale, together with high fraction of grain boundary and interfacial defects. The interfacial structure of nano-granular films could be changed from ‘highly disordered’ to ‘highly ordered’ through control of deposition parameters and post-deposition treatment. As a result, the ionic conductivity characteristics of films can be controlled, and the film structure and property can be designed and tailored according to application requirements.