Efficient quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells employing polyaniline and polypyrrole incorporated microporous conducting gel electrolytes

With an aim of elevating liquid electrolyte loading, ionic conductivity, and electrocatalytic activity of gel electrolyte toward triiodides, freeze-dried microporous poly(acrylic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PAA-PEG) matrix is employed to uptake conducting polymers, such as polyaniline (PANi) and polypyrrole (PPy). An ionic conductivity of 19.18 mS cm−1 at 65 °C is obtained from PAA-PEG/PANi conducting gel electrolyte which is nearly similar to 19.22 mS cm−1 from pure liquid electrolyte. The conducting polymers can form interconnected channels within insulating microporous PAA-PEG matrix, therefore, the reduction reaction of triiodide ions in the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) can be extended from Pt/gel electrolyte interface to both interface and three-dimensional framework of microporous conducting gel electrolyte. The resultant DSSCs from PAA-PEG/PANi and PAA-PEG/PPy conducting gel electrolytes display power conversion efficiencies of 7.12% and 6.53%, respectively, which are much higher than 5.02% from pure PAA-PEG-based DSSC. The new concept along with easy fabrication promises the microporous conducting gel electrolytes to be good alternatives in efficient quasi-solid-state DSSCs.