Effects of crown ethers in nanocomposite silica-gel electrolytes on the performance of quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

Kuan-Chieh Huang; R. Vittal; Kuo-Chuan Ho

doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2009.11.002

Effects of crown ethers in nanocomposite silica-gel electrolytes on the performance of quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

Kuan-Chieh Huang, R. Vittal, Kuo-Chuan Ho

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Abstract

The effects of crown ethers (CEs) on the performance of quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have been investigated. Nanocomposite silica was used to form gel matrices in the electrolytes, which contained lithium iodide (LiI) and iodine (I2) in 3-methoxypropionitrile (MPN) solvent. Three types of CEs, 12-crown-4 (12-C-4), 15-crown-5 (15-C-5), and 18-crown-6 (18-C-6) were used as additives to the gel electrolytes. DSSCs containing CEs showed enhancements in solar-to-electricity conversion efficiencies (η), with reference to the one without them. The crown ether, 15-C-5, with a size of cavity matching with the size of Li+ in the electrolyte rendered for its DSSC the best performance with an η of 3.60%, under 100 mW/cm2 illumination, as compared to 2.44% for the cell without any CE. Enhancements in the photovoltaic parameters of the cells with the CEs were explained based on the binding abilities of the CEs with lithium ions (Li+) in the electrolyte. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) measurements and electrochemical impedance spectra were used to substantiate the explanations. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	675-679
Number of pages	5
Journal	Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells
Volume	94
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2009.11.002
State	Published - Apr 2010
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01
Acknowledgements: This work was financially supported by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) through the Global Research Partnership Centers-in-Development grant (KAUST GRP-CID). Some of the instruments used in this study were made available through the support of the National Science Council (NSC) of Taiwan, under Grant numbers NSC 96-2120-M-002-016 and NSC 97-2120-M-002-012. We also thank the National Taiwan University for providing the matching fund to this research.
This publication acknowledges KAUST support, but has no KAUST affiliated authors.

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10.1016/j.solmat.2009.11.002

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title = "Effects of crown ethers in nanocomposite silica-gel electrolytes on the performance of quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells",

abstract = "The effects of crown ethers (CEs) on the performance of quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have been investigated. Nanocomposite silica was used to form gel matrices in the electrolytes, which contained lithium iodide (LiI) and iodine (I2) in 3-methoxypropionitrile (MPN) solvent. Three types of CEs, 12-crown-4 (12-C-4), 15-crown-5 (15-C-5), and 18-crown-6 (18-C-6) were used as additives to the gel electrolytes. DSSCs containing CEs showed enhancements in solar-to-electricity conversion efficiencies (η), with reference to the one without them. The crown ether, 15-C-5, with a size of cavity matching with the size of Li+ in the electrolyte rendered for its DSSC the best performance with an η of 3.60%, under 100 mW/cm2 illumination, as compared to 2.44% for the cell without any CE. Enhancements in the photovoltaic parameters of the cells with the CEs were explained based on the binding abilities of the CEs with lithium ions (Li+) in the electrolyte. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) measurements and electrochemical impedance spectra were used to substantiate the explanations. {\textcopyright} 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.",

author = "Kuan-Chieh Huang and R. Vittal and Kuo-Chuan Ho",

note = "KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01 Acknowledgements: This work was financially supported by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) through the Global Research Partnership Centers-in-Development grant (KAUST GRP-CID). Some of the instruments used in this study were made available through the support of the National Science Council (NSC) of Taiwan, under Grant numbers NSC 96-2120-M-002-016 and NSC 97-2120-M-002-012. We also thank the National Taiwan University for providing the matching fund to this research. This publication acknowledges KAUST support, but has no KAUST affiliated authors.",

year = "2010",

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doi = "10.1016/j.solmat.2009.11.002",

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AU - Huang, Kuan-Chieh

AU - Vittal, R.

AU - Ho, Kuo-Chuan

N1 - KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01 Acknowledgements: This work was financially supported by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) through the Global Research Partnership Centers-in-Development grant (KAUST GRP-CID). Some of the instruments used in this study were made available through the support of the National Science Council (NSC) of Taiwan, under Grant numbers NSC 96-2120-M-002-016 and NSC 97-2120-M-002-012. We also thank the National Taiwan University for providing the matching fund to this research. This publication acknowledges KAUST support, but has no KAUST affiliated authors.

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N2 - The effects of crown ethers (CEs) on the performance of quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have been investigated. Nanocomposite silica was used to form gel matrices in the electrolytes, which contained lithium iodide (LiI) and iodine (I2) in 3-methoxypropionitrile (MPN) solvent. Three types of CEs, 12-crown-4 (12-C-4), 15-crown-5 (15-C-5), and 18-crown-6 (18-C-6) were used as additives to the gel electrolytes. DSSCs containing CEs showed enhancements in solar-to-electricity conversion efficiencies (η), with reference to the one without them. The crown ether, 15-C-5, with a size of cavity matching with the size of Li+ in the electrolyte rendered for its DSSC the best performance with an η of 3.60%, under 100 mW/cm2 illumination, as compared to 2.44% for the cell without any CE. Enhancements in the photovoltaic parameters of the cells with the CEs were explained based on the binding abilities of the CEs with lithium ions (Li+) in the electrolyte. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) measurements and electrochemical impedance spectra were used to substantiate the explanations. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

AB - The effects of crown ethers (CEs) on the performance of quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have been investigated. Nanocomposite silica was used to form gel matrices in the electrolytes, which contained lithium iodide (LiI) and iodine (I2) in 3-methoxypropionitrile (MPN) solvent. Three types of CEs, 12-crown-4 (12-C-4), 15-crown-5 (15-C-5), and 18-crown-6 (18-C-6) were used as additives to the gel electrolytes. DSSCs containing CEs showed enhancements in solar-to-electricity conversion efficiencies (η), with reference to the one without them. The crown ether, 15-C-5, with a size of cavity matching with the size of Li+ in the electrolyte rendered for its DSSC the best performance with an η of 3.60%, under 100 mW/cm2 illumination, as compared to 2.44% for the cell without any CE. Enhancements in the photovoltaic parameters of the cells with the CEs were explained based on the binding abilities of the CEs with lithium ions (Li+) in the electrolyte. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) measurements and electrochemical impedance spectra were used to substantiate the explanations. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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DO - 10.1016/j.solmat.2009.11.002

M3 - Article

SN - 0927-0248

VL - 94

SP - 675

EP - 679

JO - Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells

JF - Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells

IS - 4

ER -

Effects of crown ethers in nanocomposite silica-gel electrolytes on the performance of quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

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