Effect of electron beam irradiation on the electrochemical properties of heteropolyacid–polyethylene oxide composite electrolyte for dye-sensitized solar cell

A composite electrolyte for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) was prepared with heteropolyacids (HPA) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) in the mixture solvent of chloroform and methanol. The amorphicity and ionic conductivity of the HPA–PEO composite electrolytes were significantly enhanced upon the appropriate dose of electron beam (e-beam) irradiation in the range of 40–120 kGy. A DSSC fabricated with HPA–PEO irradiated at the optimum dose of 120 kGy showed maximum overall conversion efficiency of 3.4% with a VOC of 0.588 V, ISC of 9.68 mA/cm2 and fill factor of 58.9% under 100 mW/cm2, which improved by 13% efficiency in comparison with the DSSC with bare HPA–PEO composite electrolytes.