Dye-sensitized solar cell employing zinc oxide aggregates grown in the presence of lithium
Abstract
Provided are a novel ZnO dye-sensitized solar cell and method of fabricating the same. In one embodiment, deliberately added lithium ions are used to mediate the growth of ZnO aggregates. The use of lithium provides ZnO aggregates that have advantageous microstructure, morphology, crystallinity, and operational characteristics. Employing lithium during aggregate synthesis results in a polydisperse collection of ZnO aggregates favorable for porosity and light scattering. The resulting nanocrystallites forming the aggregates have improved crystallinity and more favorable facets for dye molecule absorption. The lithium synthesis improves the surface stability of ZnO in acidic dyes. The procedures developed and disclosed herein also help ensure the formation of an aggregate film that has a high homogeneity of thickness, a high packing density, a high specific surface area, and good electrical contact between the film and the fluorine-doped tin oxide electrode and among the aggregate particles.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1176521
- Patent Number(s):
- 8558107
- Application Number:
- 13/021,520
- Assignee:
- University Of Washington
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
C - CHEMISTRY C01 - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY C01P - INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO STRUCTURAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF SOLID INORGANIC COMPOUNDS
C - CHEMISTRY C09 - DYES C09C - TREATMENT OF INORGANIC MATERIALS, OTHER THAN FIBROUS FILLERS, TO ENHANCE THEIR PIGMENTING OR FILLING PROPERTIES
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG02-07ER46467
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 2011 Feb 04
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
Citation Formats
Zhang, Qifeng, and Cao, Guozhong. Dye-sensitized solar cell employing zinc oxide aggregates grown in the presence of lithium. United States: N. p., 2013.
Web.
Zhang, Qifeng, & Cao, Guozhong. Dye-sensitized solar cell employing zinc oxide aggregates grown in the presence of lithium. United States.
Zhang, Qifeng, and Cao, Guozhong. Tue .
"Dye-sensitized solar cell employing zinc oxide aggregates grown in the presence of lithium". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1176521.
@article{osti_1176521,
title = {Dye-sensitized solar cell employing zinc oxide aggregates grown in the presence of lithium},
author = {Zhang, Qifeng and Cao, Guozhong},
abstractNote = {Provided are a novel ZnO dye-sensitized solar cell and method of fabricating the same. In one embodiment, deliberately added lithium ions are used to mediate the growth of ZnO aggregates. The use of lithium provides ZnO aggregates that have advantageous microstructure, morphology, crystallinity, and operational characteristics. Employing lithium during aggregate synthesis results in a polydisperse collection of ZnO aggregates favorable for porosity and light scattering. The resulting nanocrystallites forming the aggregates have improved crystallinity and more favorable facets for dye molecule absorption. The lithium synthesis improves the surface stability of ZnO in acidic dyes. The procedures developed and disclosed herein also help ensure the formation of an aggregate film that has a high homogeneity of thickness, a high packing density, a high specific surface area, and good electrical contact between the film and the fluorine-doped tin oxide electrode and among the aggregate particles.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2013},
month = {Tue Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2013}
}
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