Gel polymer electrolyte based on LiBOB and PAN for the application in dye-sensitized solar cells

• Gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) was prepared from LiBOB, BMII and PAN for the application in DSSC.
• The prepared GPE has a conductivity of 1.2 × 10−2 S/cm at room temperature.
• The efficiency of DSSC with LiBOB–BMII–PAN–I2 GPE system is 0.65% with fill factor of 48%.

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have been fabricated using metal complex N3 dye coupled with LiBOB and PAN-based gel polymer electrolyte (GPE). Conductivity of the GPE at room temperature was 1.2 × 10−2 S cm−1. The deconvoluted vibration spectra at different temperatures between 1000 and 970 cm−1 show the existence of ion pairs and free ions. Overall efficiency and fill factor of the DSSC with LiBOB–BMII–PAN–I2 GPE system is 0.65% and 48% respectively. The cell with LiBOB–BMII–PAN–I2 GPE system appears to be stable under varied light intensity attributed to the presence of redox couple mediator in the GPE. Impedance measurements show that the DSSC with LiBOB–BMII–PAN–I2 GPE has longer electron lifetime which suggests a lower electron recombination rate.