MgO-hybridized TiO{sub 2} interfacial layers assisting efficiency enhancement of solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

Journal Article · Mon Feb 10 00:00:00 EST 2014 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4864319· OSTI ID:22283160

Sakai, Nobuya; Ikegami, Masashi; Miyasaka, Tsutomu ^[1]

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1. Graduate School of Engineering, Toin University of Yokohama, 1614 Kurogane-cho, Aoba, Yokohama, Kanagawa 225-8502 (Japan)

Interfacial modification of a thin TiO{sub 2} compact layer (T-CL) by hybridization with MgO enhanced the quantum conversion efficiency of solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (ssDSSCs) comprising a multilayer structure of transparent electrode/T-CL/dye-sensitized mesoporous TiO{sub 2}/hole conductor/metal counter electrode. The Mg(CH{sub 3}COO){sub 2} treatment was employed to introduce a MgO-TiO{sub 2} CL (T/M-CL), which enhanced the physical connection and conduction between the CL and mesoporous semiconductor layer as a consecutive interface, owing to the dehydration reaction of Mg(CH{sub 3}COO){sub 2}. The photocurrent density of ssDSSC was increased 33% by the T/M-CL compared with the T-CL, using an equivalent amount of adsorbed dye. The ssDSSC with the T/M-CL yielded the highest efficiency of 4.02% under irradiation at 100 mW cm{sup −2}. The electrical impedance spectroscopy showed that the charge-transfer resistance (R{sub ct}) of the photoelectrode with T/M-CL was reduced by 300 Ω from the reference non-treated T-CL electrode. Characterized by the intrinsically low R{sub ct} of the compact layer, the T/M-CL is capable of improving the photovoltaic performance of solid-state sensitized mesoscopic solar cells.

• OSTI ID: 22283160
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 104, Issue 6; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DEHYDRATION
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
IMPEDANCE
INTERFACES
IRRADIATION
LAYERS
MAGNESIUM OXIDES
NANOSTRUCTURES
PHOTOVOLTAIC EFFECT
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLIDS
SPECTROSCOPY
TITANIUM OXIDES