Dye-sensitized
Photoelectrochemical Solar Cells (DSSC)
Solar energy can be
converted to electricity by amorphous or crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells. An alternative low cost technology for the
conversion of Solar energy is the
Dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical Solar Cells
(DSSC). DSSC’s are made under ambient conditions by chemical
processes and for this reason the cost
of their production is very low. In
addition, DSSC’s are semi-transparent, they can receive light, practically, at any angle
and in any direction and they can be used as photovoltaic windows
either in buildings or in small devices.
Low cost, easy fabrication and
transparency make them competitive against the existing silicon photovoltaics
technology.
A
solid type DSSC, based on nanocomposite organic-inorganic
materials, has been developed in our
laboratory and it is described below by
the diagram showing a cross section of the cell.
The cell consists
of two transparent electroconductive
glass SnO2:F commercial
electrodes. On the lower electrode
(negative electrode), a thin (2mm) transparent
nanocrystalline TiO2 film is deposited as a nanocomposite
organic-inorganic material made by the sol-gel method, subsequently calcined at high
temperature. A dye sensitizer is then
adsorbed and chemically anchored on
titania. The second electrode
(positive electrode) is slightly platinized by thermal evaporation or by
chemical procedures. Between the two
electrodes there is a solid gel supporting
an electrolyte also made by the
sol-gel method. A picture of a
model device with 7% conversion efficiency is also shown below.
Related
Publications
1. Dye-sensitized
photoelectrochemical cell using a nanocomposite
SiO2/poly(ethylene glycol) thin film as electrolyte support. Characterization by time-resolved
luminescence and conductivity measurements.: E.
Stathatos, P.Lianos and Ch.Krontiras, J.Phys.ChemCONTENTS.EN.docCONTENTS.GR.doc. Β. 105(2001)3486-3492.
2. Structural Study of Hybrid Organic/inorganic Polymer
Gels by using Time-Resolved Fluorescence Probing : E. Stathatos, P.Lianos, U.Lavrencic
Stangar, B.Orel and P.Judeinstein,
Langmuir, 16(2000)8672-8676.
3. Synthesis of a hemicyanine dye bearing two
carboxylic groups and its use as photosensitizer in Dye-Sensitized
Photoelectrochemical Cell: E. Stathatos, P.Lianos,
A.Laschewsky,
O.Ouari and P.
Van Cleuvenbergen, Chem.Mater., 13(2001)3888-3892.
4. Organic/inorganic nanocomposite gels employed as electrolyte supports in Dye-sensitized Photoelectrochemical cells: E.Stathatos and P.Lianos, Intern.J.Photoenergy, 4(2002)11-16.
5. A sol-gel type electrolyte for a dye-sensitized
solar cell: Attenuated total reflectance
(ATR) vibrational spectra studies: U.Lavrencic
Stangar, B.Orel, B.Neumann, E.Stathatos and P.Lianos,
J.Sol-gel Sci.Techn., 26(2003)1113-1118.
6. In situ resonance Raman microspectroscopy of a solid
state dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical cell: U.Lavrencic Stangar, B.Orel,
Ph.Colomban, E.Stathatos and P.Lianos,
J.Electrochem.Soc.,
149(2002)E413-E423.
7. In situ resonance Raman studies of a dye-sensitized
photoelectrochemical cell with a sol-gel electrolyte: U.Lavrencic
Stangar, B.Orel, N.Groselj, Ph.Colomban, E.Stathatos and
P.Lianos, J.New Mater.Electrochemical
Systems, 5(2002)223-231.
8. A high performance solid state Dye-sensitized
Photoelectrochemical Cell employing a
nanocomposite gel electrolyte made by the sol-gel route : E.Stathatos,
P.Lianos, U.Lavrencic Stangar and
B.Orel, Advanced Materials, 14(2002)354-357.
9. A Nanocomposite
Gel Electrolyte Made by the Sol-Gel Route for a Solid-State Dye-Sensitized
Photoelectrochemical and Electrochromic Cells: Boris Orel, Urska
Lavrencic Stangar, Angela Surca Vuk, Panagiotis Lianos, Philippe Colomban, Materials Research Society Symposium
Proceedings 725(2002)P7.3.1-P7.3.6.
10. Development
of sol-gel redox I3-/I- electrolytes and their applications in hybrid
electrochromic devices: B.Orel, A.Surca-Vuk, R.Jese, P.Lianos,
E.Stathatos, P.Judeinstein, Ph.Colomban,
Solid State Ionics, 165(2003)235-246.
11. A quasi-solid-state
dye-sensitized solar cell based on a sol-gel nanocomposite electrolyte
containing ionic liquid: E.Stathatos, P.Lianos, S.M.Zakeeruddin, P. Liska and M.Grätzel, Chem.Mater., 15(2003)1825.
12. Study of
acetic-acid-catalyzed nanocomposite organic/inorganic ureasil sol-gel ionic
conductors: E.Stathatos, P.Lianos, B. Orel, A. Surca Vuk, R.
Jese, Langmuir, 19(2003)7587-7591.
13. Optimization of quasi-solid state dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical
solar cell employing a ureasil/sulfolane gel electrolyte: E.Stathatos,
P.Lianos, A . Surca Vuk and B.
Orel, Advanced Functional
Materials, 14(2004)45-48.
14. Highly Efficient
Nanocrystalline Titania Films made from Organic/Inorganic Nanocomposite
Gels: E.Stathatos,
P.Lianos and C.Tsakiroglou, Microporous.-Mesoporous Materials, 75(2004)255-260.
15. Dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical solar cells
based on nanocomposite organic-inorganic materials: Elias Stathatos, Panagiotis
Lianos, Vasko Jovanovski and Boris Orel, J.Photochem.Photobiol. A. Chemistry 169 (2005) 57-61
16. Dye-sensitized
solar cells with electrolyte based on a trimethoxysilane derivatized ionic
liquid: Vasko Jovanovski, Elias Stathatos, Boris
Orel, Panagiotis Lianos, Thin Solid Films 511-512(2006)634-637.
17. A Novel
Polysilsesquioxane-I2/I3- ionic electrolyte for dye-sensitized
photoelectrochemical cells: Vasko Jovanovski, Boris Orel, Robi Jese,
Angela Surca Vuk, Gregor Mali, Joze Grdadolnik, Adolf Jesih, Elias Stathatos
and Panagiotis Lianos, J.Phys.Chem. Β, 109(2005)14387-14395.
18. Positevely charged polysilsesquioxane/iodide ionic liquid as a quasi
solid state redox electrolyte for dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical solar
cells : Infrared, 29Si NMR
and electrical studies: Vasko Jovanovski, Boris Orel, Robi Jese,
Gregor Mali, Elias Stathatos and Panagiotis
Lianos, J.Photoenergy (2006)1-8.
19. Dye-sensitized solar cells
based on nanocrystalline titania electrodes made at various sintering
temperatures : Elias
Stathatos and Panagiotis Lianos,
J.Nanoscience and Nanotechnology,
7(2007)555-559.
20. Dye-sensitized
solar cells made by using a polysilsesquioxane polymeric ionic fluid as redox
electrolyte: Elias Stathatos, Vasko Jovanovski, Boris
Orel, Ivan Jerman and Panagiotis
Lianos, J.Phys.Chem. C, 111(2007)6528-6532.