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Quasi-solid-state dye sensitized solar cells using supramolecular gel electrolyte formed from two-component low molecular mass organogelators

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Abstract

A novel supramolecular gel electrolyte formed from two-component low molecular mass organogelators was developed and introduced into quasi-solid-state dye sensitized solar cell (QS-DSSC). This supramolecular gel electrolyte system was prepared by using N,N’-1,5-pentanediylbis-dodecanamide and 4-(Boc-aminomethyl)pyridine as co-gelator. Furthermore, the morphologies of the two-component supramolecular gel electrolyte and single-component gel electrolyte were observed by the polarized optical light microscopy, and the charge transport property of the two-component supramolecular gel electrolyte and the kinetic processes of the electron transport/recombination were investigated by the intensity-modulated photocurrent spectroscopy/intensity-modulated photovoltage spectroscopy (IMPS/IMVS). The polarized optical microscopy (POM) revealed that the single-component gel electrolyte was formed as the rod-like fibers, whereas the fibers changed to branched structure in the two-component supramolecular gel electrolyte. Moreover, comparing with the single-component gel electrolyte based QS-DSSC, the electron transport is faster and the electron recombination at the TiO2/electrolyte interface is slower in the two-component supramolecular gel electrolyte based QSDSSC. Consequently, an efficiency of 7.04% was obtained by the two-component supramolecular gel electrolyte based QSDSSC, which is higher than that of the single-component gel electrolyte based QS-DSSC (6.59%).

中文摘要

本文制备了一种由N,N′-1,5-戊二基双月桂酰胺和4-(Boc-氨基甲基)吡啶作为共胶凝剂的新型超分子凝胶电解质, 并将其应用于准固态染料敏化太阳电池(QS-DSSC)中. 通过偏光显微镜观察超分子凝胶电解质和由N,N′-1,5-戊二基双月桂酰胺制备的单组份凝胶电解质微观形貌的差异, 并通过调制光电流谱/调制光电压谱(IMPS/IMVS)来研究两种凝胶电解质体系中的电子传输/复合动力学过程. 结果表明, 单组份凝胶电解质中的网络结构是由棒状纤维构成, 而在超分子凝胶电解质中出现分叉纤维结构; 与单组份凝胶电解质组装的QS-DSSC相比, 基于超分子凝胶电解质的QS-DSSC内部电子传输更快且电子在TiO2/电解质界面处的复合速率更慢. 最终, 基于超分子凝胶电解质的QS-DSSC获得了7.04%的光电转换效率, 高于基于单组份凝胶电解质的QS-DSSC的光电转换效率(6.59%).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Novel Thin Film Solar Cells, Institute of Applied Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China

    Zhipeng Huo, Li Tao, Songyuan Dai, Jun Zhu, Changneng Zhang & Shuanghong Chen

  2. Beijing Key Lab of Novel Thin Film Solar Cells, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, 102206, China

    Songyuan Dai & Bing Zhang

Authors
  1. Zhipeng Huo
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  2. Li Tao
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  3. Songyuan Dai
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  4. Jun Zhu
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  5. Changneng Zhang
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  6. Shuanghong Chen
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  7. Bing Zhang
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Zhipeng Huo or Songyuan Dai.

Additional information

These two authors contributed equally to this research.

Zhipeng Huo was born in 1982. He is an associate researcher of Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He obtained his BSc degree in chemical engineering and technology from Beijing University of Chemical Technology in 2004, and PhD degree in materials physics and chemistry from Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2009. His current research interests mainly focus on functional electrolytes, electrochemistry for energy conversion and storage devices.

Li Tao was born in 1983. She obtained her PhD degree in materials physics and chemistry from University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2015. Her research interests mainly focus on synthesis, characterization and application of organic compounds, and electrochemical analysis for energy conversion devices.

Songyuan Dai was born in 1967. He is a professor and Dean of the School of Renewable Energy, North China Electric Power University. He obtained his BSc degree in physics from Anhui Normal University in 1987, and MSc and PhD degrees in plasma physics from the Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1991 and 2001. His research interests mainly focus on the next-generation solar cells including dye-sensitized solar cells, quantum dot solar cells, perovskite solar cells, etc.

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Huo, Z., Tao, L., Dai, S. et al. Quasi-solid-state dye sensitized solar cells using supramolecular gel electrolyte formed from two-component low molecular mass organogelators. Sci. China Mater. 58, 447–454 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-015-0060-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-015-0060-3

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