Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6493105 | Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry | 2011 | 5 Pages |
Abstract
A quasi-solid gel-polymer electrolyte for dye-sensitized nanostructured TiO2 sensitized by N719 ruthenium dye has been developed. The electrolyte comprises of polyacrylonitrile along with plasticizers, ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate in the 15:35:50 ratio and the redox couple consists of tetrabutyl ammonium iodide and iodine along with tertiary butyl pyridine. The concentration of iodide:iodine was optimized and optimal activity was found when the molar ratio is 1.50:0.05. This gel electrolyte has a high electrical conductivity of 4.33Â mSÂ cmâ1 and overall conversion efficiencies of over 7% were obtained for solar to electrical energy conversion which is higher than the values reported for other similar gel-polymer electrolytes. The reduction in efficiency compared to a solar cell employing a liquid electrolyte can be attributed to incomplete wetting of pores and due to mass transfer limitations of redox species through a more viscous medium.
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Authors
Oliver A. Ileperuma, G.R. Asoka Kumara, Hong-Sheng Yang, Kenji Murakami,