Publication: (SiO2)100-x-Nix (x = 2.5, 10.0) Composite-based photoanode with polymer gel electrolyte for increased dye-sensitized solar cell performance
Date
2019
Authors
Abdullah H.
Zainudin M.K.
Ahmad M.
Mahalingam S.
Manap A.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Institute for Ionics
Abstract
This work aims on the degradation performance of (SiO2)100-x-Nix (x = 2.5, 10.0) photoanodes incorporating with liquid and gel polymer electrolyte for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The silica doped with nickel and gel polymer electrolyte was prepared by sol-gel polymerization of tetraethyl orthosilicate and sol-gel polymerization of polyacrylonitrile (PAN), respectively. The utilization of PAN-based gel polymer electrolyte improved the value of open circuit voltage due to its high ionic conductivity and mechanical stability in DSSC. The (SiO2)90.0-Ni10.0-based DSSC utilizing PAN-based gel polymer electrolyte exhibited the highest power conversion efficiency of 2.96%. The field emission electron microscopy images show larger average particle size with greater porosity in the (SiO2)90.0-Ni10.0 thin film. Moreover, the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis determines greater active surface area on (SiO2)90.0-Ni10.0 thin films that indicates more dye molecules may adsorb on the mesoporous photoanode to facilitate electron transport in the DSSC. � 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
Description
Dye-sensitized solar cells; Electron transport properties; Mechanical stability; Nickel; Open circuit voltage; Particle size; Polymer solar cells; Polymerization; Silica; Sol-gel process; Sol-gels; Solar cells; Solid electrolytes; Thin films; Brunauer Emmett Teller analysis; Field emission electron microscopy; Gel polymer electrolytes; Polyacrylonitrile (PAN); Polymer gel electrolytes; Power conversion efficiencies; Sol-gel polymerization; Tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate; Polyelectrolytes