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Nanoarchitectured Electrodes for Enhanced Electron Transport in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

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Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Through Nanotechnology

Part of the book series: Green Energy and Technology ((GREEN))

Abstract

The invention of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) provided a promising alternative to Si-based photovoltaic devices. The first generation of DSSCs was constructed on nanoparticle wide bandgap semiconductor photoanodes. However, despite its unmatched success to date, the nanoparticle-based photoanode suffers from exceedingly slow electron transport due to the intrinsic defect states in the nanoparticle network, which eventually limits any further advancement in the device efficiency. Recent efforts have been directed toward developing ordered electron transport pathways using a variety of pseudo-1D photoanodes that exhibit enhanced charge transport and greater material versatility. Further exploration and optimization of these alternative nanoarchitectured photoanodes may eventually lead to device performance exceeding the current state-of-the-art.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, 60115, USA

    Tao Xu

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  1. Tao Xu
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Correspondence to Tao Xu .

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  1. , Department of Materials Science and, University of Utah, S. Central Campus Drive 122, Salt Lake City, 84112, Utah, USA

    Ling Zang

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Xu, T. (2011). Nanoarchitectured Electrodes for Enhanced Electron Transport in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. In: Zang, L. (eds) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Through Nanotechnology. Green Energy and Technology. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-85729-638-2_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-85729-638-2_7

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-85729-637-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-85729-638-2

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