Carbon nanohorn-based electrolyte for dye-sensitized solar cells

Lodermeyer, Fabian; Costa, Rubén D.; Casillas, Rubén; Köhler, Florian; Wasserscheid, Peter; Prato, Maurizio; Guldi, Dirk M.

doi:10.1039/c4ee02037e

Cited by 49 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…More typically, carbon materials are used as metal-free electrodes or to facilitate charge transport in solar cells. [12][13][14][15] We have seen that CNDs are prone to undergo photoinduced charge-transfer in nanohybrid materials, indicating that they are also suitable as photoactive components. [16][17][18] Indeed, several studies have shown that the principle of using such materials as sensitizers in mesoscopic solar cells is sound, although the reported power conversion efficiencies cannot yet compete with inorganic QD solar cells.…”

Section: Conceptual Insightsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using carbon nanodots as inexpensive and environmentally friendly sensitizers in mesoscopic solar cells

et al. 2016

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Showcasing research from the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) GermanyUsing carbon nanodots as inexpensive and environmentally friendly sensitizers in mesoscopic solar cells Carbon nanodots (CNDs) have attracted a lot of attention due to their superior optical properties and low environmental impact. The successful incorporation of this nanomaterial in optoelectronic devices is still an open challenge however, mainly because of CNDs' heterogeneous electronic and chemical structures. A comprehensive investigation based on device characterization, spectroscopy and theory now reveals that the performance of CND solar cells is limited by a trade-off between light absorption, electronic trap states and charge regeneration kinetics.rsc.li/nanoscale-horizons Comprehensive spectroscopic and theoretical studies allow us to rationalize the nature of their absorption features. Promising power conversion efficiencies (g) of 0.24% can be achieved from these cheap and eco-friendly sensitizers by optimizing the solar-cell assembly process. Interestingly, we found that extending the light absorption towards longer wavelengths does not necessarily improve the performance of the solar cells, since the longer-wavelength absorption features hardly contribute to the cells' photo-action spectra, so that the overall power conversion efficiency is actually worse. The origin of the lower performance is corroborated in transient absorption spectroscopy and photovoltage decay measurements. Our work points, on one hand, to the limits of as-synthesized CNDs as photosensitizers and, on the other hand, to possible improvements.

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Section: Conceptual Insightsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using carbon nanodots as inexpensive and environmentally friendly sensitizers in mesoscopic solar cells

et al. 2016

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“…Notably, SWCNHs exhibit a high I D / I G ratio due to defects often exceeding a value of 1. 13,32 Concerning their electronic features, the stability, optimum geometry, and electronic properties of SWCNHs are significantly influenced by their unique conical structure. 16,19,33 Scanning tunneling microscopy and simulated scanning tunneling microscopy assays indicated a net electron transfer toward the pentagon vertex sites.…”

Section: -23mentioning

confidence: 99%

Review—Single-Walled Carbon Nanohorn-Based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Lodermeyer

Costa

Guldi

2017

ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol.

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Efforts in the broad field of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) are governed by four key challenges: i) the development of photoelectrodes with high charge injection yields and charge collection efficiencies, ii) the development of low-cost buffer layers, which effectively reduce the back reaction of electrons from the transparent conductive oxide (TCO) to the electrolyte, iii) the design of platinum-free counter electrodes (CE), which feature good electrolyte regeneration yields, and iv) the implementation of (quasi) solid-state and iodine-free electrolytes featuring excellent ionic diffusion and conductivity.

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“…However, derivative problems of solid-state electrolytes such as contact between hole transporting materials and the nanoporous semiconductor films remain to be solved [13,14]. Therefore, quasi-solid-state electrolytes which can be prepared by solidifying the liquid electrolytes using low molecular mass organogelators (LMOGs) [15,16], polymer gelators [17,18] and nanoparticles [19,20], have attracted much attention for their good properties (e.g., good performance and long stability). Remarkably, the gel electrolytes formed from the LMOGs exhibit three dimensional networks and possess higher ionic conductivity, good pore filling and penetration of the mesoporous TiO2 film [21,22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of the self-assembled gel network formed from a low molecular mass organogelator on the electron kinetics in quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

Huo

Zhu

et al. 2016

Sci. China Mater.

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A low molecular mass organogelator (LMOG), N,N¢ -1,5-pentanediylbis-dodecanamide, was applied to quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (QS-DSSCs). The crosslinked gel network was self-assemblied by the LOMG in the liquid electrolyte, and the in situ assembly process of gelator can be obtained by the polarized optical microscopy (POM). On one hand, the network hinders the diffusion of redox species and accelerates the electron recombination at the interface of the TiO2 photoanode/electrolyte. On the other hand, Li + can interact with the amide carbonyl groups of the gelators and the adsorption of Li + onto the TiO2 surface decreases, leading to a negative shift of the TiO2 conduction band edge, accelerated electron transport and decreased electron injection efficiency (ηinj) of QS-DSSC. As a result, the incidental photon-to-electron conversion efficiency (IPCE), the short circuit photocurrent density (Jsc) and the open circuit voltage (Voc) of the QS-DSSC are decreased compared with those of the liquid electrolyte based DSSC (L-DSSC), which indicates that the electron recombination plays a great role in the photovoltaic performances of DSSC. Remarkably, the QS-DSSC exhibits excellent thermal and light-soaking stabilities during accelerated aging tests for 1000 h, which is attributed to a great intrinsic stability of the gel electrolyte with a high gel to solution transition temperature (Tgel = 108°C).

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Carbon nanohorn-based electrolyte for dye-sensitized solar cells

Cited by 49 publications

References 30 publications

Using carbon nanodots as inexpensive and environmentally friendly sensitizers in mesoscopic solar cells

Using carbon nanodots as inexpensive and environmentally friendly sensitizers in mesoscopic solar cells

Review—Single-Walled Carbon Nanohorn-Based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Effect of the self-assembled gel network formed from a low molecular mass organogelator on the electron kinetics in quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

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