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Chang CY, Kaur N, Prado-Rivera R, Lai CY, Radu D. Size-Controlled Cu 3VSe 4 Nanocrystals as Cathode Material in Platinum-Free Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2024; 16:13719-13728. [PMID: 38459614 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c18658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
In this work, we report the first single-step, size-controlled synthesis of Cu3VSe4 cuboidal nanocrystals, with the longest dimension ranging from 9 to 36 nm, and their use in replacing the platinum counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells. Cu3VSe4, a ternary semiconductor from the class of sulvanites, is theoretically predicted to have good hole mobility, making it a promising candidate for charge transport in solar photovoltaic devices. The identity and crystalline purity of the Cu3VSe4 nanocrystals were validated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. The particle size was determined from the XRD data using the Williamson-Hall equation and was found in agreement with the transmission electron microscopy imaging. Based on the electrochemical activity of the Cu3VSe4 nanocrystals, studied by cyclic voltammetry, the nanomaterials were further employed for fabricating counter electrodes (CEs) in Pt-free dye-sensitized solar cells. The counter electrodes were prepared from Cu3VSe4 nanocrystals as thin films, and the charge transfer kinetics were studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The work demonstrates that Cu3VSe4 counter electrodes successfully replace platinum in DSSCs. CEs fabricated with the Cu3VSe4 nanocrystals having an average particle size of 31.6 nm outperformed Pt, leading to DSSCs with the highest power conversion efficiency (5.93%) when compared with those fabricated with the Pt CE (5.85%).
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen-Yu Chang
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33174, United States
| | - Navdeep Kaur
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33174, United States
| | - Roberto Prado-Rivera
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33174, United States
| | - Cheng-Yu Lai
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33174, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33199, United States
| | - Daniela Radu
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33174, United States
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2
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Chen CY, Lin TY, Chiu CF, Lee MM, Li WL, Chen MY, Hung TH, Zhang ZJ, Tsai HHG, Sun SS, Wu CG. Steric Effects on the Photovoltaic Performance of Panchromatic Ruthenium Sensitizers for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2024; 16:12647-12660. [PMID: 38437590 PMCID: PMC10941073 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c19298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Three new heteroleptic Ru complexes, CYC-B22, CYC-B23C, and CYC-B23T, were prepared as sensitizers for coadsorbent-free, panchromatic, and efficient dye-sensitized solar cells. They are simultaneously functionalized with highly conjugated anchoring and ancillary ligands to explore the electronic and steric effects on their photovoltaic characteristics. The coadsorbent-free device based on CYC-B22 achieved the best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.63% and a panchromatic response extending to 850 nm. The two stereoisomers, CYC-B23C and CYC-B23T coordinated with an unsymmetrical anchoring ligand, display similar absorption properties and the same driving forces for electron injection as well as dye regeneration. Nevertheless, the devices show not only the remarkably distinct PCE (6.64% vs 8.38%) but also discernible stability. The molecular simulation for the two stereoisomers adsorbed on TiO2 clarifies the distinguishable distances (16.9 Å vs 19.0 Å) between the sulfur atoms in the NCS ligands and the surface of the TiO2, dominating the charge recombination dynamics and iodine binding and therefore the PCE and stability of the devices. This study on the steric effects caused by the highly conjugated and unsymmetrical anchoring ligand on the adsorption geometry and photovoltaic performance of the dyes paves a new way for advancing the molecular design of polypyridyl metal complex sensitizers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Yuan Chen
- Research
Center of New Generation Light Driven Photovoltaic Modules and, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan, R.O.C
- Department
of Chemistry, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Ting-Yi Lin
- Department
of Chemistry, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Chi-Feng Chiu
- Department
of Chemistry, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Mandy M. Lee
- Institute
of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Academia Road, Sec. 2,
Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Wei-Long Li
- Department
of Chemistry, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Min-Yu Chen
- Department
of Chemistry, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Tzu-Hao Hung
- Department
of Chemistry, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Zhao-Jie Zhang
- Department
of Chemistry, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Hui-Hsu Gavin Tsai
- Research
Center of New Generation Light Driven Photovoltaic Modules and, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan, R.O.C
- Department
of Chemistry, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Shih-Sheng Sun
- Institute
of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, No. 128, Academia Road, Sec. 2,
Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Chun-Guey Wu
- Research
Center of New Generation Light Driven Photovoltaic Modules and, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan, R.O.C
- Department
of Chemistry, National Central University, Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan, R.O.C
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Imae I, Akazawa R, Harima Y. Impact of Nitroxyl Radicals on Photovoltaic Conversion Properties of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. Materials (Basel) 2023; 17:77. [PMID: 38203930 PMCID: PMC10779495 DOI: 10.3390/ma17010077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Nitroxyl radicals, characterized by unique redox properties, have been investigated for their potential influence on the photovoltaic conversion properties of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In this study, we investigated the influence of nitroxyl radicals as donor sites in DSSCs. We observed that the redox activity of nitroxyl radicals significantly enhanced the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of DSSCs; this finding can offer new insights into the application of these radicals in solar energy conversion. Furthermore, we found that increasing the proportion of nitroxyl radicals improved the DSSC performance. Through a combination of experimental and analytical approaches, we elucidated the mechanism underlying this enhancement and highlighted the potential for more efficient DSSCs using nitroxyl radicals as key components. These findings provide new avenues for developing advanced DSSCs with improved performances and sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ichiro Imae
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1 Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8527, Hiroshima, Japan
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Fagnani F, Colombo A, Dragonetti C, Roberto D. Recent Investigations on the Use of Copper Complexes as Molecular Materials for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. Molecules 2023; 29:6. [PMID: 38202589 PMCID: PMC10779943 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Three decades ago, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) emerged as a route for harnessing the sun's energy and converting it into electricity. Since then, an impressive amount of work has been devoted to improving the global photovoltaic efficiency of DSSCs, trying to optimize all components of the device. Up to now, the best efficiencies have usually been reached with ruthenium(II) photosensitizers, even if in the last few years many classes of organic compounds have shown record efficiencies. However, the future of DSSCs is stringently connected to the research and development of cheaper materials; in particular, the replacement of rare metals with abundant ones is an important topic in view of the long-term sustainability of DSSCs intended to replace the consolidated fossil-based technology. In this context, copper is a valid candidate, being both an alternative to ruthenium in the fabrication of photosensitizers and a material able to replace the common triiodide/iodide redox couple. Thus, recently, some research papers have confirmed the great potential of copper(I) coordination complexes as a cheap and convenient alternative to ruthenium dyes. Similarly, the use of copper compounds as electron transfer mediators for DSSCs can be an excellent way to solve the problems related to the more common I3-/I- redox couple. The goal of this mini-review is to report on the latest research devoted to the use of versatile copper complexes as photosensitizers and electron shuttles in DSSCs. The coverage, from 2022 up to now, illustrates the most recent studies on dye-sensitized solar cells based on copper complexes as molecular materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Fagnani
- Department of Chemistry, University of Milan, UdR-INSTM of Milan, Via C. Golgi 19, I-20133 Milan, Italy; (A.C.); (C.D.); (D.R.)
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Hosseinnezhad M, Ghahari M, Mobarhan G, Fathi M, Palevicius A, Nutalapati V, Janusas G, Nasiri S. New Insights into Improving the Photovoltaic Performance of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells by Removing Platinum from the Counter Electrode Using a Graphene-MoS 2 Composite or Hybrid. Micromachines (Basel) 2023; 14:2161. [PMID: 38138330 PMCID: PMC10871118 DOI: 10.3390/mi14122161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Photovoltaic systems, such as dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), are one of the useful tools for generating renewable and green energy. To develop this technology, obstacles such as cost and the use of expensive compounds must be overcome. Here, we employed a new MoS2/graphene hybrid or composite instead of platinum in the DSSCs. Furthermore, the correctness of the preparation of the MoS2/graphene hybrid or composite was evaluated by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and the results showed that the desired compound was synthesized correctly. Inexpensive organic dyes were used to prepare the DSSCs, and their chemical structure was investigated by density functional theory (DFT) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). Finally, the DSSCs were fabricated using MoS2/graphene composite or hybrid, and to compare the results, the DSSCs were also prepared using platinum. Under the same conditions, the DSSCs with MoS2/graphene composite illustrated better efficiency than MoS2/graphene hybrid or/and graphene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mozhgan Hosseinnezhad
- Department of Organic Colourants, Institute for Colour Science and Technology, Tehran P.O. Box 16765-654, Iran
| | - Mehdi Ghahari
- Department of Nanomaterials and Nanocoatings, Institute for Colour Science and Technology, Tehran P.O. Box 16765-654, Iran; (M.G.); (G.M.)
| | - Ghazal Mobarhan
- Department of Nanomaterials and Nanocoatings, Institute for Colour Science and Technology, Tehran P.O. Box 16765-654, Iran; (M.G.); (G.M.)
| | - Mohsen Fathi
- Department of Physics, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood P.O. Box 36155-316, Iran;
| | - Arvydas Palevicius
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Design, Kaunas University of Technology, Studentu Street 56, LT 51373 Kaunas, Lithuania; (A.P.); (G.J.); (S.N.)
| | - Venkatramaiah Nutalapati
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur 603203, Tamil Nadu, India;
| | - Giedrius Janusas
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Design, Kaunas University of Technology, Studentu Street 56, LT 51373 Kaunas, Lithuania; (A.P.); (G.J.); (S.N.)
| | - Sohrab Nasiri
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Design, Kaunas University of Technology, Studentu Street 56, LT 51373 Kaunas, Lithuania; (A.P.); (G.J.); (S.N.)
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Meenakshamma A, Mounika PM, Gurulakshmi M, Susmitha K, Haranath D, Goswami L, Gupta G, Someshwar P, Raghavender M. Voltage- and Power-Conversion Performance of Bi-functional ZrO 2 : Er 3+ / Yb 3+ Assisted and Co-sensitized Dye Sensitized Solar Cells for Internet of Things Applications. Chemphyschem 2023; 24:e202300572. [PMID: 37596962 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202300572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Giant power conversion efficiency is achieved by using bifunction ZrO2 : Er3+ /Yb3+ assisted co-sensitised dye-sensitized solar cells. The evolution of the crystalline structure and its microstructure are examined by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy studies. The bi-functional behaviour of ZrO2 : Er3+ /Yb3+ as upconversion, light scattering is confirmed by emission and diffused reflectance studies. The bi-function ZrO2 : Er3+ /Yb3+ (pH=3) assisted photoanode is co-sensitized by use of N719 dye, squaraine SPSQ2 dye and is sandwiched with Platinum based counter electrode. The fabricated DSSC exhibited a giant power conversion efficiency of 12.35 % with VOC of 0.71 V, JSC of 27.06 mA/cm2 , FF of 0.63. The results, which motivated the development of a small DSSC module, gave 6.21 % and is used to drive a tiny electronic motor in indoor and outdoor lighting conditions. Small-area DSSCs connected in series have found that a VOC of 4.52 V is sufficient to power up Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - D Haranath
- Department of Physics, National Institute of Technology, Warangal, 506004, T.S., India
| | - Lalit Goswami
- Sensor Devices & Metrology, National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Govind Gupta
- Sensor Devices & Metrology, National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi, 110012, India
| | - Pola Someshwar
- Department of Chemistry, Osmania University, Hyderabad, 500007, T.S., India
| | - Mitty Raghavender
- Department of Physics, Yogi Vemana University, Kadapa, 516005, A.P., India
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7
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Shukor NIA, Chan KY, Thien GSH, Yeoh ME, Low PL, Devaraj NK, Ng ZN, Yap BK. A Green Approach to Natural Dyes in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. Sensors (Basel) 2023; 23:8412. [PMID: 37896506 PMCID: PMC10610988 DOI: 10.3390/s23208412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Solar cells are pivotal in harnessing renewable energy for a greener and more sustainable energy landscape. Nonetheless, eco-friendly materials for solar cells have not been as extensive as conventional counterparts, highlighting a significant area for further investigation in advancing sustainable energy technologies. This study investigated natural dyes from cost-effective and environmentally friendly blueberries and mulberries. These dyes were utilized as alternative sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Alongside the natural dyes, a green approach was adopted for the DSSC design, encompassing TiO2 photoanodes, eco-friendly electrolytes, and green counter-electrodes created from graphite pencils and candle soot. Consequently, the best-optimized dye sensitizer was mulberry, with an output power of 13.79 µW and 0.122 µW for outdoor and indoor environments, respectively. This study underscored the feasibility of integrating DSSCs with sensitizers derived from readily available food ingredients, potentially expanding their applications in educational kits and technology development initiatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nurul Izzati Abdul Shukor
- Centre for Advanced Devices and Systems, Faculty of Engineering, Multimedia University, Persiaran Multimedia, Cyberjaya 63100, Selangor, Malaysia (N.K.D.)
- Intel Corporation, Bayan Lepas 11900, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
| | - Kah-Yoong Chan
- Centre for Advanced Devices and Systems, Faculty of Engineering, Multimedia University, Persiaran Multimedia, Cyberjaya 63100, Selangor, Malaysia (N.K.D.)
| | - Gregory Soon How Thien
- Centre for Advanced Devices and Systems, Faculty of Engineering, Multimedia University, Persiaran Multimedia, Cyberjaya 63100, Selangor, Malaysia (N.K.D.)
| | - Mian-En Yeoh
- Centre for Advanced Devices and Systems, Faculty of Engineering, Multimedia University, Persiaran Multimedia, Cyberjaya 63100, Selangor, Malaysia (N.K.D.)
| | - Pei-Ling Low
- Centre for Advanced Devices and Systems, Faculty of Engineering, Multimedia University, Persiaran Multimedia, Cyberjaya 63100, Selangor, Malaysia (N.K.D.)
| | - Nisha Kumari Devaraj
- Centre for Advanced Devices and Systems, Faculty of Engineering, Multimedia University, Persiaran Multimedia, Cyberjaya 63100, Selangor, Malaysia (N.K.D.)
| | - Zi-Neng Ng
- School of Electrical Engineering and Artificial Intelligence, Xiamen University Malaysia, Jalan Sunsuria, Bandar Sunsuria, Sepang 43900, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Boon Kar Yap
- Electronic and Communications Department, College of Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Kajang 43000, Selangor, Malaysia
- Institute of Sustainable Energy, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Kajang 43000, Selangor, Malaysia
- International School of Advanced Materials, South China University of Technology, 381 Wushan Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510640, China
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Zhou H, Lee HJ, Masud, Aftabuzzaman M, Kang SH, Kim CH, Kim HM, Kim HK. Synergistic Effect of Size-Tailored Structural Engineering and Postinterface Modification for Highly Efficient and Stable Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2023; 15:43835-43844. [PMID: 37695216 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c09228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Despite significant progress in device performance, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) continue to fall short of their theoretical potential. Moreover, research in recent years needs to pay more attention to improving the device fabrication process. To achieve the theoretical efficiency limit, it is crucial to optimize the interface between the dye and TiO2 nanoparticles in the entire device stack. Our study indicates that optimizing the structure or size of the coadsorbents and implementing a monolayer adsorption process can be an effective strategy to reduce charge recombination and enhance light-harvesting properties. Our research aims to develop a surface-coating adsorbent plan that controls the TiO2 nanoparticle interface to achieve the radiative limit of power conversion efficiency (PCE). Specifically, we utilized 2-thiophenecarboxylic acid (THCA) or chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) as postinterfacial surface-coating adsorbents. Our results demonstrate that this approach effectively achieves the desired PCE limit. Combined with the coadsorbent structure engineering and interface optimization, the device increased the packing area on the TiO2 nanoparticles' surface, reaching an improved PCE of over 13.17% under simulated sunlight (1.5G), which is the highest efficiency of a porphyrin single dye-based DSSC. In particular, this practical approach was also applied to a large-area DSSC with an area of 3 cm2, yielding a remarkable PCE of 9.04%. Furthermore, when applied to a polymer gel electrolyte, this novel approach recorded the highest PCE of 11.16% with a long-term operational stability of up to 1000 h for the quasi-solid-state DSSCs. Our research findings provide a promising avenue for achieving high-performance DSSCs with ease of access and demonstrate practical applications as alternatives to conventional power sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Zhou
- Global GET-Future Lab. & Department of Advanced Materials Chemistry, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Korea
- Renewable Energy Materials Laboratory (REML), Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University, Suwon 16229, Korea
| | - Hyun Jae Lee
- Department of Advanced Materials Chemistry, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Korea
| | - Masud
- Global GET-Future Lab. & Department of Advanced Materials Chemistry, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Korea
| | - Mohammad Aftabuzzaman
- Global GET-Future Lab. & Department of Advanced Materials Chemistry, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Korea
| | - Sung Ho Kang
- Renewable Energy Materials Laboratory (REML), Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University, Suwon 16229, Korea
| | - Chul Hoon Kim
- Department of Advanced Materials Chemistry, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Korea
| | - Hyung Mun Kim
- Global GET-Future Lab. & Department of Advanced Materials Chemistry, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Korea
| | - Hwan Kyu Kim
- Global GET-Future Lab. & Department of Advanced Materials Chemistry, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Korea
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Luo J, Lu Q, Li Q, Li Z, Wang Y, Wu X, Li C, Xie Y. Efficient Solar Cells Based on Porphyrin and Concerted Companion Dyes Featuring Benzo 12-Crown-4 for Suppressing Charge Recombination and Enhancing Dye Loading. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2023; 15:41569-41579. [PMID: 37608739 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c09187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, various porphyrin dyes have been designed to develop efficient dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Based on our previously reported porphyrin dye XW43, which contains a phenothiazine donor with two diethylene glycol (DEG)-derived substituents, we herein report a porphyrin dye XW89 by introducing a benzo 12-crown-4 (BCE) unit onto the N atom of the phenothiazine donor. On this basis, XW90 and XW91 have been synthesized by replacing a DEG chain in XW89 with two DEG chains and a 12-crown-4 unit, respectively. For iodine electrolyte-based DSSCs, dyes XW89-XW91 exhibit VOC values of 765-779 mV, higher than that of XW43 (755 mV), which may be related to the strong capability of the BCE group in binding Li+ and thus suppressing the downward shift of the TiO2 conduction band and interfacial charge recombination. Moreover, the smaller size of 12-crown-4 than the DEG unit enables higher adsorption amounts of the dyes than XW43, contributing to an enhanced JSC value. Due to the presence of two BCE units, dye XW91 exhibits the highest dye loading amount and JSC of 1.86 × 10-7 mol cm-2 and 19.79 mA cm-2, respectively, affording a high PCE of 11.1%. To further enhance the light-harvesting ability, a concerted companion (CC) dye XW92 has been constructed by linking the two subdye units corresponding to the porphyrin dye XW91 and an organic dye. As a result, XW92 affords an enhanced JSC and efficiency. Further coadsorption of XW92 with chenodeoxycholic acid achieved the highest efficiency of 12.1%. This work provides an effective approach for fabricating efficient DSSCs sensitized by porphyrin and CC dyes based on the introduction of crown ether units with smaller sizes and stronger Li+ affinities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxin Luo
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Qingjun Lu
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Qizhao Li
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Zhemin Li
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yuqing Wang
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Xinyan Wu
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Chengjie Li
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yongshu Xie
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
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Han HG, Yoon SY, Kim BM, Lee MH, Kim S, Shin H, Roh DH, Song HK, Kwon TH. Influence of the Lithium-Ion Concentration in Electrolytes on the Performance of Dye-Sensitized Photorechargeable Batteries. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2023; 15:40378-40384. [PMID: 37594234 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c05250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Dye-sensitized photorechargeable batteries (DSPBs) have recently gained attention for realizing energy recycling systems under dim light conditions. However, their performance under high storage efficiency (i.e., the capacity charged within a limited time) for practical application remains to be evaluated. Herein, we varied the lithium (Li)-ion concentration, which plays a dual role as energy charging and storage components, to obtain the optimized energy density of DSPBs. Electrochemical studies showed that the Li-ion concentration strongly affected the resistance characteristics of DSPBs. In particular, increasing the Li-ion concentration improved the output capacity and decreased the output voltage. Consequently, the energy density of the finely optimized DSPB improved from 8.73 to 12.64 mWh/cm3 when irradiated by a 1000-lx indoor light-emitting-diode lamp. These findings on the effects of Li-ion concentrations in electrolytes on the performance of DSPBs represent a step forward in realizing the practical application of DSPBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun-Gyu Han
- Department of Chemistry, School of Natural Science, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
- Center for Wave Energy Materials, UNIST, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
- Industrial R&D Center, P2SG Global Corporation, Seoul 05052, Republic of Korea
| | - So Yeon Yoon
- Department of Chemistry, School of Natural Science, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
- Center for Wave Energy Materials, UNIST, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Man Kim
- Department of Chemistry, School of Natural Science, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FS, U.K
| | - Myeong-Hee Lee
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, UNIST, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungtae Kim
- Department of Chemistry, School of Natural Science, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
- Center for Wave Energy Materials, UNIST, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - HyeonOh Shin
- Department of Chemistry, School of Natural Science, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
- Center for Wave Energy Materials, UNIST, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Deok-Ho Roh
- Department of Chemistry, School of Natural Science, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
- Center for Wave Energy Materials, UNIST, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Kon Song
- School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, UNIST, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Hyuk Kwon
- Department of Chemistry, School of Natural Science, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
- Center for Wave Energy Materials, UNIST, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of Carbon Neutrality, UNIST, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of Semiconductor Materials and Device Engineering, UNIST, Ulsan 44919, Republic of Korea
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11
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Zhou H, Ji JM, Lee HS, Masud, Aftabuzzaman M, Lee DN, Kim CH, Kim HK. D-π-A Structured Porphyrin and Organic Dyes with Easily Synthesizable Donor Units for Low-Cost and Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2023; 15:39426-39434. [PMID: 37578375 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c08877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to develop low-cost D-π-A structured porphyrin and organic dyes with easily synthesizable donor units instead of the conventional complex multistep synthetic donor unit of Hexyloxy-BPFA [bis(7-(2,4-bis(hexyloxy)phenyl)-9,9-dimethyl-9H-fluoren-2-yl)amine] used in SGT-021 and SGT-149 as well-known record cosensitizers with an extremely high power conversion efficiency (PCE). The design strategy concerned the easier synthesis of low-cost donor units with inversion structures in donor groups via donor structural engineering, particularly by changing the position of the fluorene and phenylene units in the donor moiety while keeping the π-bridge and acceptor unit unchanged, leading to the synthesis of two D-π-A structured porphyrins [SGT-021(D0) and SGT-021(D)] and one D-π-A structured organic sensitizer [SGT-149(D)] for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Specifically, porphyrin SGT-021(D0) incorporated two hexyl chains into the 9-position of each fluorene, while SGT-021(D) and SGT-149(D) substituted two hexyloxy chain units to the terminal position of each fluorene in the donor groups of porphyrin dyes. The effect of the position of the fluorene and phenylene units in the donor moiety on the photochemical and electrochemical properties, as well as the photovoltaic performance, was compared with the reference dyes of SGT-021 and SGT-149, previously reported by the research group. After optimizing the DSSC devices, SGT-021(D) and SGT-021(D0) achieved a high PCE of 11.6 and 10.5%, respectively, while SGT-149(D) exhibited a little lower PCE of 10.3% under the standard AM 1.5G light intensity. The cell performance of DSSC devices based on SGT-021(D) and SGT-149(D) was inferior to the corresponding reference dyes of SGT-021 and SGT-149 due to their lower donating ability of Hexyloxy-BPFA than Hexyloxy-BFPA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Zhou
- Global GET-Future Lab. and Department of Advanced Materials Chemistry, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Korea
- Renewable Energy Materials Laboratory (REML), Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Seoul National University, Suwon 16229, Korea
| | - Jung-Min Ji
- Global GET-Future Lab. and Department of Advanced Materials Chemistry, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Korea
- Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Stiftstraße 34-36, 45740 Melheim, Germany
| | - Hyun Seok Lee
- Department of Advanced Materials Chemistry, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Korea
| | - Masud
- Global GET-Future Lab. and Department of Advanced Materials Chemistry, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Korea
| | - Mohammad Aftabuzzaman
- Global GET-Future Lab. and Department of Advanced Materials Chemistry, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Korea
| | - Dong-Nam Lee
- Global GET-Future Lab. and Department of Advanced Materials Chemistry, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Korea
- School of Chemical Engineering and Center for Antibonding Regulated Crystals, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Korea
| | - Chul Hoon Kim
- Department of Advanced Materials Chemistry, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Korea
| | - Hwan Kyu Kim
- Global GET-Future Lab. and Department of Advanced Materials Chemistry, Korea University, Sejong 339-700, Korea
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12
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Mustafa FM, Abdel Khalek AA, Mahboob AA, Abdel-Latif MK. Designing Efficient Metal-Free Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: A Detailed Computational Study. Molecules 2023; 28:6177. [PMID: 37687006 PMCID: PMC10488533 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28176177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The modulation of molecular characteristics in metal-free organic dyes holds significant importance in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The D-π-A molecular design, based on the furan moiety (π) in the conjugated spacer between the arylamine (D) and the 2-cyanoacrylic acid (A), was developed and theoretically evaluated for its potential application in DSSCs. Utilizing linear response time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) with the CAM-B3LYP functional, different donor and acceptor groups were characterized in terms of the electronic absorption properties of these dyes. All the studied dye sensitizers demonstrate the ability to inject electrons into the semiconductor's conduction band (TiO2) and undergo regeneration through the redox potential triiodide/iodide (I3-/I-) electrode. TDDFT results indicate that the dyes with CSSH anchoring groups exhibit improved optoelectronic properties compared to other dyes. Further, the photophysical properties of all dyes absorbed on a Ti(OH)4 model were explored and reported. The observed results indicate that bidentate chemisorption occurs between dyes and TiO4H5. Furthermore, the HOMO-LUMO energy gaps for almost all dye complexes are significantly smaller than those of the free dyes. This decrease of the HOMO-LUMO energy gaps in the dye complexes facilitates electron excitation, and thus more photons can be adsorbed, guaranteeing larger values of efficiency and short-circuit current density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatma M. Mustafa
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef City 62521, Egypt; (F.M.M.); (A.A.A.K.)
| | - Ahmed A. Abdel Khalek
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef City 62521, Egypt; (F.M.M.); (A.A.A.K.)
| | - Abdulla Azzam Mahboob
- Chemistry Department, Collage of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates;
| | - Mahmoud K. Abdel-Latif
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef City 62521, Egypt; (F.M.M.); (A.A.A.K.)
- Chemistry Department, Collage of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates;
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13
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Wen J, Chen S, Xu Y, Guan T, Zhang X, Bao N. Synthesis of Single Crystal 2D Cu 2FeSnS 4 Nanosheets with High-Energy Facets (111) as a Pt-Free Counter Electrode for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. Materials (Basel) 2023; 16:4743. [PMID: 37445056 DOI: 10.3390/ma16134743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Two-dimensional Cu2FeSnS4 (CFTS) nanosheets with exposed high-energy facets (111) have been synthesized by a facile, scalable, and cost-effective one-pot heating process. The CFTS phase formation is confirmed by both X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. The formation mechanism of exposed high-energy facet CFTS growth is proposed and its electrochemical and photoelectrochemical properties are investigated in detail to reveal the origin of the anisotropic effect of the high-energy facets. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) achieve a favorable power conversion efficiency of 5.92% when employing CFTS thin film as a counter electrode, suggesting its potential as a cost-effective substitute for Pt in DSSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianming Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Suqin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - You Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Tuxiang Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Ningzhong Bao
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 210009, China
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14
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Shaban S, Vats AK, Pandey SS. Bifacial Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Utilizing Visible and NIR Dyes: Implications of Dye Adsorption Behaviour. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28062784. [PMID: 36985755 PMCID: PMC10052324 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28062784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Bifacial dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated utilizing dye cocktails of two dyes, Z-907 and SQ-140, which have complementary light absorption and photon harvesting in the visible and near-infrared wavelength regions, for panchromatic photon harvesting. The investigation of the rate of dye adsorption and the binding strengths of the dyes on mesoporous TiO2 corroborated the finding that the Z-907 dye showed a rate of dye adsorption that was about >15 times slower and a binding that was about 3 times stronger on mesoporous TiO2 as compared to SQ-140. Utilizing the dye cocktails Z-907 and SQ-140 from ethanol, the formation of the dye bilayer, which was significantly influenced by the ratio of dyes and adsorption time, was demonstrated. It was demonstrated that the dyes of Z-907 and SQ-140 prepared in 1:9 or 9:1 molar ratios favoured the dye bilayer formation by subtly controlling the adsorption time. In contrast, the 1:1 ratio counterpart was prone to form mixed dye adsorption; the best performance of the BF-DSSCs was shown when a dye cocktail of Z-907 and SQ-140 in a molar 9:1 ratio was used to prepare a photoanode for 1 h of dye adsorption. The BF-DSSCs thus exhibited PCEs of 4.23% and 3.48% upon the front and rear side light illuminations, a cumulated PCE of 7.71%, and a very good BBF of 83%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suraya Shaban
- Graduate School of Life Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, 2-4, Hibikino, Wakamatsu, Kitakyushu 808-0196, Japan
| | - Ajendra K Vats
- Graduate School of Life Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, 2-4, Hibikino, Wakamatsu, Kitakyushu 808-0196, Japan
| | - Shyam S Pandey
- Graduate School of Life Science and Systems Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology, 2-4, Hibikino, Wakamatsu, Kitakyushu 808-0196, Japan
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Bouzzine SM, Abdelaaziz A, Hamidi M, Al-Zahrani FAM, Zayed MEM, El-Shishtawy RM. The Impact of TPA Auxiliary Donor and the π-Linkers on the Performance of Newly Designed Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Computational Investigation. Materials (Basel) 2023; 16:1611. [PMID: 36837251 PMCID: PMC9965092 DOI: 10.3390/ma16041611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The efficiency of the newly designed dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) containing triphenylamine, diphenylamine (TPA), phenothiazine, and phenoxazine as donors and triazine, phenyl with D1-D2-π-linker-π-(A)2 architecture has been investigated using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent (TD-DFT) methods. These methods were used to investigate the geometrical structures, electronic properties, absorption, photovoltaic properties, and chemical reactivity. Furthermore, the calculated results indicate that different architectures can modify the energy levels of HOMO and LUMO and reduce the energy gap. The absorption undergoes a redshift displacement. This work aims at calculating the structural geometries and the electronic and optical properties of the designed dyes. Furthermore, the dye adsorption characteristics, such as the optoelectronic properties and the adsorption energies in the TiO2 clusters, were calculated with counterpoise correction and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si Mohamed Bouzzine
- Regional Center for Education and Training Professional, B.P. 8 Errachidia, Morocco
- Equipe de Chimie-Physique, Electrochimie et Environnement, Laboratoire de Chimie-Physique, Environnement et Matériaux, Université Moulay Ismaïl, B.P. 509 Boutalamine, Errachidia, Morocco
| | - Alioui Abdelaaziz
- Equipe de Chimie-Physique, Electrochimie et Environnement, Laboratoire de Chimie-Physique, Environnement et Matériaux, Université Moulay Ismaïl, B.P. 509 Boutalamine, Errachidia, Morocco
| | - Mohamed Hamidi
- Equipe de Chimie-Physique, Electrochimie et Environnement, Laboratoire de Chimie-Physique, Environnement et Matériaux, Université Moulay Ismaïl, B.P. 509 Boutalamine, Errachidia, Morocco
| | - Fatimah A. M. Al-Zahrani
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohie E. M. Zayed
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Reda M. El-Shishtawy
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Dyeing, Printing and Textile Auxiliaries Department, Textile Research and Technology Institute, National Research Centre, 33 EL Buhouth St., Dokki, Giza 12622, Egypt
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16
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Dávila Cerón V, Illicachi LA, Insuasty B. Triazine: An Important Building Block of Organic Materials for Solar Cell Application. Molecules 2022; 28:molecules28010257. [PMID: 36615449 PMCID: PMC9822301 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28010257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Since the beginning of the 21st century, triazine-based molecules have been employed to construct different organic materials due to their unique optoelectronic properties. Among their applications, photovoltaics stands out because of the current need to develop efficient, economic, and green alternatives to energy generation based mainly on fossil fuels. Here, we review all the development of triazine-based organic materials for solar cell applications, including organic solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells, and perovskite solar cells. Firstly, we attempt to illustrate the main synthetic routes to prepare triazine derivatives. Then, we introduce the main aspects associated with solar cells and their performance. Afterward, we discuss different works focused on the preparation, characterization, and evaluation of triazine derivatives in solar cells, distinguishing the type of photovoltaics and the role of the triazine-based material in their performance (e.g., as a donor, acceptor, hole-transporting material, electron-transporting material, among others). Throughout this review, the progress, drawbacks, and main issues of the performance of the mentioned solar cells are exposed and discussed. Finally, some conclusions and perspectives about this research topic are mentioned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Dávila Cerón
- Heterocyclic Compounds Research Group, Department of Chemistry, Universidad del Valle, A.A., Cali 25360, Colombia
| | - Luis Alberto Illicachi
- Research Group of Chemical and Biotechnology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Universidad Santiago de Cali, Cali 760035, Colombia
- Correspondence:
| | - Braulio Insuasty
- Heterocyclic Compounds Research Group, Department of Chemistry, Universidad del Valle, A.A., Cali 25360, Colombia
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17
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Gierszewski M, Glinka A, Ziółek M. Co-Sensitization Effects of Indoline and Carbazole Dyes in Solar Cells and Their Neutral-Anion Equilibrium in Solution. Materials (Basel) 2022; 15:7725. [PMID: 36363315 PMCID: PMC9657344 DOI: 10.3390/ma15217725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Co-sensitization of two or more light-absorbing compounds on a TiO2 surface has recently become one of the most successful strategies in the development of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The specific structure of the dyes for DSSCs implies that they can partly exist in anionic forms in popular solvents used for sensitization. Our study concerns the above two issues being analyzed in detail using the example of the popular carbazole (MK2) and indoline (D205) dyes, studied by stationary absorption and emission, femtosecond transient absorption (in complete cells and in the solutions), current-voltage measurements, DFT and TD-DFT theoretical calculations. After the addition of D205 to DSSC with MK2, the fill factor of the cells was improved, and the electron recombination between TiO2 and the dyes was blocked (observed on sub-nanosecond time scales). Thus, the active co-adsorbent can take the role of the typically used passive additive, like chenodeoxycholic acid. Evidence of the concentration-dependent equilibrium between neutral and anionic forms of dyes with different lifetimes was found in acetonitrile solutions (the best for sensitization), while in ethanol solution the dominant form was the anion (worse for sensitization). Our findings should help in better understanding the operation and optimization of DSSC.
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18
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He S, Lan Z, Zhang B, Gao Y, Shang L, Yue G, Chen S, Shen Z, Tan F, Wu J. Holistically Optimizing Charge Carrier Dynamics Enables High-Performance Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells and Photodetectors. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2022; 14:43576-43585. [PMID: 36102874 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c13009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Charge carrier events across organic electronics are ubiquitous, and the derived optimization plays a crucial effect on improving the performance of organic electronics. Herein, a two-dimensional material (Ti3C2Tx) is incorporated into titanium dioxide (TiO2) to impart the Ti3C2Tx/TiO2 hybrid film enriched hydroxy group distribution, defect-negligible surface, upshifted work function, and enhanced conductivity yet electron mobility versus the pristine TiO2 film. Therefore, intensified photon-harvesting ability, reduced charge carrier recombination, and efficient charge carrier collection are realized for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on the Ti3C2Tx/TiO2 hybrid photoanode relative to control ones. Consequently, the modified DSSCs based on Z907 deliver superior efficiencies of 10.39 and 29.68% under 100 mW/cm2 illumination and ∼1.9 mW/cm2 dim light, respectively, being the highest values of Z907-based DSSCs. However, control devices only obtain lower efficiencies of 8.06 and 23.91% when undergoing the abovementioned illumination. On the other hand, the self-powered homologous photodetectors with the hybrid film as an electron-transporting layer present enhanced detectivity (1.69 × 1011 Jones) and a shortened responsivity of 0.26 s versus that of control ones (1.39 × 1011 Jones and 0.35 s). Our work implies that the Ti3C2Tx/TiO2 hybrid film features high potential for improving the performance of organic electronics for its effect of holistically optimizing charge carrier dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenghua He
- Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Materials, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, P. R. China
| | - Zhang Lan
- Engineering Research Center of Environment-Friendly Functional Materials, Ministry of Education, Institute of Materials Physics and Chemistry, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, P. R. China
| | - Bo Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Low-Grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, CQU-NUS Renewable Energy Materials & Devices Joint Laboratory, School of Energy & Power Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, P. R. China
| | - Yueyue Gao
- Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Materials, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, P. R. China
| | - Luwen Shang
- Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Materials, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, P. R. China
| | - Gentian Yue
- Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Materials, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, P. R. China
| | - Shanshan Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Low-Grade Energy Utilization Technologies and Systems, CQU-NUS Renewable Energy Materials & Devices Joint Laboratory, School of Energy & Power Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, P. R. China
| | - Zhitao Shen
- Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Materials, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, P. R. China
| | - Furui Tan
- Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic Materials, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, P. R. China
| | - Jihuai Wu
- Engineering Research Center of Environment-Friendly Functional Materials, Ministry of Education, Institute of Materials Physics and Chemistry, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, P. R. China
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Almenningen DM, Haga BS, Hansen HE, Buene AF, Hoff BH, Gautun OR. Adamantyl Side Chains as Anti-Aggregating Moieties in Dyes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. Chemistry 2022; 28:e202201726. [PMID: 35686677 PMCID: PMC9543767 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202201726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Designing and evaluating novel dye concepts is crucial for the development of the field of dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In our recent report, the novel concept of tethering the anti‐aggregation additive chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) to dyes for DSSC was introduced. Based on the performance improvements seen for this modification, the aim of this study is to see if a simplified anti‐aggregation unit could achieve similar results. The following study reports the synthesis and photovoltaic characterization of two novel dyes decorated with the steric ethyladamantyl moiety on the π‐spacer, and on the triarylamine donor. This modification is demonstrated to be successful in increasing the photovoltages in devices employing copper‐based electrolytes compared to the non‐modified reference dye. The best photovoltaic performance is achieved by a device prepared with the adamantyl decorated donor dye and CDCA, this device achieves a power conversion efficiency of 6.1 % (Short‐circuit current=8.3 mA cm−2, Open‐circuit voltage=1054 mV, Fill factor=0.69). The improved photovoltaic performance seen for the adamantyl decorated donor demonstrate the potential of ethyladamantyl side chains as a tool to ensure surface protection of TiO2.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Moe Almenningen
- Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 5, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Brita Susanne Haga
- Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 5, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Henrik Erring Hansen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Sem Saelands vei 12, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Audun Formo Buene
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 7a, 7034, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Bård Helge Hoff
- Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 5, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Odd Reidar Gautun
- Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 5, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
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Sarrato J, Pinto AL, Cruz H, Jordão N, Malta G, Branco PS, Lima JC, Branco LC. Effect of Iodide-Based Organic Salts and Ionic Liquid Additives in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Performance. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2022; 12:2988. [PMID: 36080024 PMCID: PMC9457700 DOI: 10.3390/nano12172988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The use of ionic liquid and organic salts as additives for electrolyte systems in dye-sensitized solar cells have been widely described in recent years. The tunability of their physical-chemical properties according to the cation-anion selection contributes toward their high efficiencies. For this purpose, several iodide-based organic salts including imidazolium, picolinium, guanidinium and alkylammonium cations were tested using acetonitrile/valeronitrile electrolytes and their photovoltaic parameters were compared. A best efficiency of 4.48% (4.15% for the reference) was found for 1-ethyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium iodide ([C2DMIM]I) containing electrolyte, reaffirming the effectiveness of these additives. 4-tertbutylpyridine was included into the formulation to further improve the performance while determining which iodide salts demonstrate the highest synergy with this additive. [C2DMIM]I once again proved to be the superior additive, achieving an efficiency of 6.48% (6% for the reference). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was employed to elucidate the effects of the various additives, demonstrating the relevance of the counter electrode resistance on device performance. Finally, several computational descriptors for the cationic structures were calculated and correlated with the photovoltaic and resistance parameters, showing that properties related to polarity, namely relative positive charge, molecular polarizability and partition coefficient are in good agreement with the counter-electrode resistance.
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Keremane KS, Planchat A, Pellegrin Y, Jacquemin D, Odobel F, Vasudeva Adhikari A. Push-Pull Phenoxazine-Based Sensitizers for p-Type DSSCs: Effect of Acceptor Units on Photovoltaic Performance. ChemSusChem 2022; 15:e202200520. [PMID: 35691936 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202200520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Finding new efficient p-type sensitizers for NiO photocathodes is a great challenge for the development of promising low-cost tandem dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Now, the focus of researchers investigating these cells has been to create high-performance p-type systems. With this intention, herein, the design and synthesis of six new phenoxazine-based donor-acceptor (D-A)-configured organic dyes PO1-6 was reported, comprising different acceptor moieties specially designed for the sensitization of mesoporous p-type semiconductor NiO for the construction of p-type DSSCs (p-DSSCs). This work includes structural, photophysical, thermal, electrochemical, theoretical, and photoelectrochemical studies of these dyes, including evaluation of their structure-property relationships. The optical studies revealed that PO1-6 displayed adequate absorption and emission features in the range of 480-550 and 560-650 nm, respectively, with a bandgap in the order of 2.05-2.40 eV, and their thermodynamic parameters favored an efficient interfacial charge transfer involving NiO. Among the six new dyes, the device based on sensitizer PO2 carrying electron-withdrawing 1,3-diethyl-2-thiobarbituric acid achieved the highest power conversion efficiency of 0.031 % (short-circuit current density=0.89 mA cm-2 , open-circuit voltage=101 mV, and fill factor=35 %). Conclusively, the study furnishes an understanding of the intricacies involved in the structural modification of phenoxazine-based sensitizers to further ameliorate the performance of the p-type DSSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavya S Keremane
- Organic Materials Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology Karnataka Surathkal, Mangalore, 575025, India
| | | | - Yann Pellegrin
- Nantes Université, CNRS, CEISAM UMR 6230, Nantes, France
| | | | - Fabrice Odobel
- Nantes Université, CNRS, CEISAM UMR 6230, Nantes, France
| | - Airody Vasudeva Adhikari
- Organic Materials Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology Karnataka Surathkal, Mangalore, 575025, India
- Yenepoya Research Centre, Yenepoya deemed to be University Deralakatte, Mangalore, 575 018, India
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22
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Zou J, Wang Y, Baryshnikov G, Luo J, Wang X, Ågren H, Li C, Xie Y. Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on a New Class of Doubly Concerted Companion Dyes. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2022; 14:33274-33284. [PMID: 35834394 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c07950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
To develop efficient dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), concerted companion (CC) dyes XW60-XW63 constructed from the covalent linkage of a strapped porphyrin dye unit and an organic dye unit have been reported to exhibit panchromatic absorption and excellent photovoltaic performance. However, these CC dyes only afforded moderate VOC values of ca. 763 mV, demonstrating relatively weak antiaggregation ability, which remains an obstacle for further enhancing the photovoltaic behavior. To address this problem, we herein develop porphyrin dyes XW77-XW80 with the macrocycles wrapped with alkoxy chains of various lengths (OC6H13-OC22H45) and the corresponding CC dyes XW81-XW84 containing these porphyrin dye units. Interestingly, the new CC dyes XW81-XW83 exhibit increasing VOC from 745 to 784 mV with the chain lengths extended from C6 to C18, and a lowered VOC of 762 mV was obtained for XW84 when the chain length was further extended to C22. As a result, XW83 afforded the highest PCE of 12.2%, which is, to the best of our knowledge, the record efficiency for the iodine electrolyte-based solar cells sensitized with a single dye. These results can be rationalized by the so-called doubly concerted companion (DCC) effects, that is, the two subdye units exhibit not only complementary absorption but also concerted antiaggregation with the long wrapping chains on the porphyrins unit simultaneously protecting the porphyrin macrocycle and the neighboring organic subdye unit, thus affording panchromatic absorption and strong antiaggregation and anticharge-recombination ability. These results provide a new approach for constructing a class of DCC dyes to achieve high-performance DSSCs without using any antiaggregating coadsorbent or absorption-enhancing cosensitizer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiazhi Zou
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Institute of Fine Chemicals, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
| | - Yuqing Wang
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Institute of Fine Chemicals, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
| | - Glib Baryshnikov
- Department of Science and Technology, Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Linköping University, Norrköping 60174, Sweden
| | - Jiaxin Luo
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Institute of Fine Chemicals, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
| | - Xueyan Wang
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Institute of Fine Chemicals, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
| | - Hans Ågren
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Uppsala 751 20, Sweden
| | - Chengjie Li
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Institute of Fine Chemicals, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
| | - Yongshu Xie
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Institute of Fine Chemicals, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Functional Materials Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
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23
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Santos F, Martins J, Capitão J, Emami S, Ivanou D, Mendes A. Stable Cobalt-Mediated Monolithic Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells by Full Glass Encapsulation. ACS Appl Energy Mater 2022; 5:7220-7229. [PMID: 36569782 PMCID: PMC9773422 DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.2c00765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) emerged in the market as one of the most promising indoor photovoltaic technologies to address the need for wireless powering of low-consuming electronics and sensor nodes of the internet of things (IoT). The monolithic design structure of the cell (M-DSSCs) makes the devices simpler and cheaper, and it is straightforward for constructing in-series modules. The most efficient DSSCs reported so far are Co(III/II)-mediated liquid junction cells with acetonitrile electrolytes; however, they are mostly unstable. This study reports on highly stable cobalt-mediated M-DSSCs, passing thermal cycling tests up to 85 °C according to ISOS standard protocols. Under 1000 h of aging in the dark and under simulated solar and artificial light soaking, all tested cells improved or retained their initial power conversion efficiency. Advanced long-term stability was achieved by eliminating the extrinsic factors of degradation, such as the interaction of the cell components with the environment and electrolyte leakage. This was obtained by encapsulation of the devices using a glass-frit sealant, including the holes for filling up the liquid components of the cells. The hermeticity of the encapsulation complies with the MIL-STD-883 standard fine helium gas leakage test, and its hermeticity remained unchanged after humidity-freeze cycles according to IEC 61646. The elimination of extrinsic degradation factors allowed reliable assessment of inner factors accountable for aging. The impact of the ISOS-protocol test conditions on the intrinsic device stability and long-term photovoltaic history of the M-DSSCs is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fátima Santos
- LEPABE—Laboratory
for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty
of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE—Associate
Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Jorge Martins
- LEPABE—Laboratory
for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty
of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE—Associate
Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Jeffrey Capitão
- LEPABE—Laboratory
for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty
of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE—Associate
Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Seyedali Emami
- LEPABE—Laboratory
for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty
of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE—Associate
Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Dzmitry Ivanou
- LEPABE—Laboratory
for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty
of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE—Associate
Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- Email address: . Phone: +351 920427795. Fax: +351 225081449
| | - Adélio Mendes
- LEPABE—Laboratory
for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty
of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE—Associate
Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
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24
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Li Z, Liu K, Sun R, Yang C, Liu X. In Situ Decoration of ZnSnO 3 Nanosheets on the Surface of Hollow Zn 2SnO 4 Octahedrons for Enhanced Solar Energy Application. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2022; 12:nano12122124. [PMID: 35745463 PMCID: PMC9230825 DOI: 10.3390/nano12122124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Hierarchical ZnSnO3/Zn2SnO4 porous hollow octahedrons were constructed using the method of combining the acid etching process with the in situ decoration technique for photovoltaic and photocatalytic applications. The composite was used as photoanode of the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), an overall 4.31% photovoltaic conversion efficiency was obtained, nearly a 73.1% improvement over the DSSCs that used Zn2SnO4 solid octahedrons. The composite was also determined to be a high-performance photocatalyst for the removal of heavy metal ion Cr (VI) and antibiotic ciprofloxacin (CIP) in single and co-existing systems under simulated sunlight irradiation. It was remarkable that the composite displayed good reusability and stability in a co-existing system, and the simultaneous removal performance could be restored by a simple acid treatment. These improvements of solar energy utilization were ascribed to the synergetic effect of the hierarchical porous hollow morphology, the introduction of ZnSnO3 nanosheets, and the heterojunction formed between ZnSnO3 and Zn2SnO4, which could improve light harvesting capacity, expedite electron transport and charge-separation efficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengdao Li
- Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Engineering College, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, China; (K.L.); (R.S.); (C.Y.)
- Engineering Technology-Research Center of Henan Province for Solar Catalysis, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, China
- Correspondence: (Z.L.); (X.L.); Tel.: +86-377-63-513-735 (Z.L.)
| | - Kecheng Liu
- Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Engineering College, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, China; (K.L.); (R.S.); (C.Y.)
| | - Ruixue Sun
- Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Engineering College, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, China; (K.L.); (R.S.); (C.Y.)
| | - Chuanyun Yang
- Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Engineering College, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, China; (K.L.); (R.S.); (C.Y.)
- Engineering Technology-Research Center of Henan Province for Solar Catalysis, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, China
| | - Xiaodi Liu
- Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Engineering College, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061, China; (K.L.); (R.S.); (C.Y.)
- Correspondence: (Z.L.); (X.L.); Tel.: +86-377-63-513-735 (Z.L.)
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25
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Conradie MM. UV-Vis Spectroscopy, Electrochemical and DFT Study of Tris(β-diketonato)iron(III) Complexes with Application in DSSC: Role of Aromatic Thienyl Groups. Molecules 2022; 27:3743. [PMID: 35744869 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27123743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A series of tris(β-diketonato)iron(III) complexes, with the β-diketonato ligand bearing different substituent groups, have been synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) and mass spectroscopic methods. The maximum band UV-Vis absorption wavelengths of the tris(β-diketonato)iron(III) complexes were in the range of 270–380 nm. The complexes have very good solubility in various solvents such as chloroform, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, tetrahydrofurane, dimethylsulphoxide and dimethylformamide. After the syntheses and characterization processes, spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of these tris(β-diketonato)iron(III) complexes were investigated. A density functional theory (DFT) study related to the spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of the tris(β-diketonato)iron(III) complexes was used to investigate the possible application of these complexes as dye sensitizers or redox mediators in dye-sensitized solar cells.
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26
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Gnida P, Amin MF, Pająk AK, Jarząbek B. Polymers in High-Efficiency Solar Cells: The Latest Reports. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:1946. [PMID: 35631829 DOI: 10.3390/polym14101946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Third-generation solar cells, including dye-sensitized solar cells, bulk-heterojunction solar cells, and perovskite solar cells, are being intensively researched to obtain high efficiencies in converting solar energy into electricity. However, it is also important to note their stability over time and the devices' thermal or operating temperature range. Today's widely used polymeric materials are also used at various stages of the preparation of the complete device-it is worth mentioning that in dye-sensitized solar cells, suitable polymers can be used as flexible substrates counter-electrodes, gel electrolytes, and even dyes. In the case of bulk-heterojunction solar cells, they are used primarily as donor materials; however, there are reports in the literature of their use as acceptors. In perovskite devices, they are used as additives to improve the morphology of the perovskite, mainly as hole transport materials and also as additives to electron transport layers. Polymers, thanks to their numerous advantages, such as the possibility of practically any modification of their chemical structure and thus their physical and chemical properties, are increasingly used in devices that convert solar radiation into electrical energy, which is presented in this paper.
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27
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Gupta RK, Shaikh H, Imran A, Bedja I, Ajaj AF, Aldwayyan AS. Electrical Transport, Structural, Optical and Thermal Properties of [(1-x)Succinonitrile: xPEO]-LiTFSI-Co(bpy)(3)(TFSI)(2)-Co(bpy)(3)(TFSI)(3) Solid Redox Mediators. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14. [PMID: 35567039 DOI: 10.3390/polym14091870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The solar cell has been considered one of the safest modes for electricity generation. In a dye-sensitized solar cell, a commonly used iodide/triiodide redox mediator inhibits back-electron transfer reactions, regenerates dyes, and reduces triiodide into iodide. The use of iodide/triiodide redox, however, imposes several problems and hence needs to be replaced by alternative redox. This paper reports the first Co2+/Co3+ solid redox mediators, prepared using [(1−x)succinonitrile: xPEO] as a matrix and LiTFSI, Co(bpy)3(TFSI)2, and Co(bpy)3(TFSI)3 as sources of ions. The electrolytes are referred to as SN_E (x = 0), Blend 1_E (x = 0.5 with the ethereal oxygen of the PEO-to-lithium ion molar ratio (EO/Li+) of 113), Blend 2_E (x = 0.5; EO/Li+ = 226), and PEO_E (x = 1; EO/Li+ = 226), which achieved electrical conductivity of 2.1 × 10−3, 4.3 × 10−4, 7.2 × 10−4, and 9.7 × 10−7 S cm−1, respectively at 25 °C. Only the blend-based polymer electrolytes exhibited the Vogel-Tamman-Fulcher-type behavior (vitreous nature) with a required low pseudo-activation energy (0.05 eV), thermal stability up to 125 °C, and transparency in UV-A, visible, and near-infrared regions. FT-IR spectroscopy demonstrated the interaction between salt and matrix in the following order: SN_E < Blend 2_E < Blend 1_E << PEO_E. The results were compared with those of acetonitrile-based liquid electrolyte, ACN_E.
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Amjad M, Khan MI, Alwadai N, Irfan M, Ikram-Ul-Haq, Albalawi H, Almuqrin AH, Almoneef MM, Iqbal M. Photovoltaic Properties of ZnO Films Co-Doped with Mn and La to Enhance Solar Cell Efficiency. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2022; 12:1057. [PMID: 35407175 DOI: 10.3390/nano12071057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2021] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
In the present investigation, ZnO films co-doped with Mn and La were synthesized by the sol–gel technique. XRD analysis revealed that ZnO had a hexagonal structure. Mixed hexagonal and cubic phases appeared in ZnO containing Mn (1%) and La (1.5%). The grain size, d-spacing, unit cell, lattice parameters, atomic packing fraction, volume, strain, crystallinity, and bond length of co-doped ZnO films were determined as a function of doped ion contents. Through UV analysis, it was found that pristine ZnO had Eg = 3.5 eV, and it decreased when increasing the doping concentration, reaching the minimum value for the sample with 1% Mn and 1% La. The optical parameters of the films, such as absorption, transmittance, dielectric constants, and refractive index, were also analyzed. DSSCs were fabricated using the prepared ZnO films. For pure ZnO film, the values were: efficiency = 0.69%, current density = 2.5 mAcm−2, and open-circuit voltage = 0.56 V. When ZnO was co-doped with Mn and La, the efficiency increased significantly. DSSCs with a ZnO photoanode co-doped with 1% Mn and 1% La exhibited maximum values of Jsc = 4.28 mAcm−2, Voc = 0.6 V, and efficiency = 1.89%, which is 174% better than pristine ZnO-based DSSCs. This material is good for the electrode of perovskite solar cells.
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Espinoza EM, Clark JA, Billones MK, Silva GTDM, da Silva CP, Quina FH, Vullev VI. Photophysics and Electrochemistry of Biomimetic Pyranoflavyliums: What Can Bioinspiration from Red Wines Offer? Photochem 2022; 2:9-31. [PMID: 35075451 PMCID: PMC8783599 DOI: 10.3390/photochem2010003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Natural dyes and pigments offer incomparable diversity of structures and functionalities, making them an excellent source of inspiration for the design and development of synthetic chromophores with a myriad of emerging properties. Formed during maturation of red wines, pyranoanthocyanins are electron-deficient cationic pyranoflavylium dyes with broad absorption in the visible spectral region and pronounced chemical and photostability. Herein, we survey the optical and electrochemical properties of synthetic pyranoflavylium dyes functionalized with different electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups, which vary their reduction potentials over a range of about 400 mV. Despite their highly electron-deficient cores, the exploration of pyranoflavyliums as photosensitizers has been limited to the "classical" n-type dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) where they act as electron donors. In light of their electrochemical and spectroscopic properties, however, these biomimetic synthetic dyes should prove to be immensely beneficial as chromophores in p-type DSSCs, where their ability to act as photooxidants, along with their pronounced photostability, can benefit key advances in solar-energy science and engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John Anthony Clark
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | | | | | - Cassio Pacheco da Silva
- Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Lineu Prestes 748, Cidade Universitaŕia, São Paulo 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Frank Herbert Quina
- Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Lineu Prestes 748, Cidade Universitaŕia, São Paulo 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Valentine Ivanov Vullev
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Materials Science and Engineering Program, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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Michaels H, Freitag M. Assessment of TiO 2 Blocking Layers for Cu II/I-Electrolyte Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy. ACS Appl Energy Mater 2022; 5:1933-1941. [PMID: 35572067 PMCID: PMC9096799 DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.1c03433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The TiO2 blocking layer in dye-sensitized solar cells is the most difficult component to evaluate at thicknesses below 50 nm, but it is crucial for the power conversion efficiency. Here, the electrode capacitance of TiO2 blocking layers is tested in aqueous [Fe(CN)6]3-/4- and correlated to the performance of photoanodes in devices based on a [Cu(tmby)2]2+/+ electrolyte. The effects of the blocking layer on electronic recombination in the devices are illustrated with transient photovoltage methods and electrochemical impedance analysis. We have thus demonstrated a feasible and facile method to assess TiO2 blocking layers for the fabrication of dye-sensitized solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Michaels
- Department
of Chemistry - Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 523, Uppsala 75120, Sweden
- School
of Natural and Environmental Science, Newcastle
University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, United Kingdom
| | - Marina Freitag
- Department
of Chemistry - Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 523, Uppsala 75120, Sweden
- School
of Natural and Environmental Science, Newcastle
University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, United Kingdom
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31
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Yuan Y, Wan C. Dual Application of Waste Grape Skin for Photosensitizers and Counter Electrodes of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2022; 12:nano12030563. [PMID: 35159908 PMCID: PMC8839975 DOI: 10.3390/nano12030563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), a powerful system to convert solar energy into electrical energy, suffer from the high cost of the Pt counter electrode and photosensitizer. In this study, the dual application of waste grape skin is realized by employing the grape skin and its extract as the carbon source of the carbon-based counter electrode and photosensitizer, respectively. The ultraviolet–visible absorption and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy verify the strong binding between the dye molecules (anthocyanins) in the extract and the TiO2 nanostructure on the photoanode, contributing to a high open-circuit voltage (VOC) value of 0.48 V for the assembled DSSC device. Moreover, the waste grape skin was subjected to pyrolysis and KOH activation and the resultant KOH-activated grape skin-derived carbon (KA-GSDC) possesses a large surface area (620.79 m2 g−1) and hierarchical porous structure, leading to a high short circuit current density (JSC) value of 1.52 mA cm−2. Additionally, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy reveals the efficient electron transfer between the electrocatalyst and the redox couples and the slow recombination of electrolytic cations and the photo-induced electrons in the conduction band of TiO2. These merits endow the DSSC with a high photovoltaic efficiency of 0.48%, which is 33% higher than that of a common Pt-based DSSC (0.36%). The efficiency is also competitive, compared with some congeneric DSSCs based on other natural dyes and Pt counter electrode. The result confirms the feasibility of achieving the high-value application of waste grape skin in DSSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Yuan
- College of Art and Design, Hunan Vocational College of Science and Technology (Hunan Porcelain College), Changsha 410004, China;
| | - Caichao Wan
- College of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China
- Correspondence:
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32
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Gupta RK, Shaikh H, Imran A, Bedja I, Aldwayyan AS. Tetramethyl Succinonitrile as a Solid Plasticizer in a Poly(Ethylene Oxide) 8 -LiI-I 2 Solid Polymer Electrolyte. Macromol Rapid Commun 2022; 43:e2100764. [PMID: 35086162 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202100764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is a promising alternative to the commercially available amorphous silicon-based solar cell because of several advantageous properties. A DSSC with a fast ion conducting solid polymer electrolyte is required for the arid atmosphere of Gulf countries. In this work, we have proposed a new matrix, poly(ethylene oxide)-tetramethyl succinonitrile blend to synthesize a blend-LiI-I2 solid polymer electrolyte for the DSSC application. The tetramethyl succinonitrile is a member of plastic crystal with a solid-solid phase transition temperature of approximately 71 °C and melting temperature of approximately 170.5 °C. Its molar fraction, 0.1-0.15 is sufficient enough for synthesizing a polymer electrolyte with electrical conductivity of more than 10-4 S cm-1 at room temperature. This electrolyte shows Vogel-Tamman-Fulcher type behavior with a low value (∼0.083 eV) of pseudo-activation energy for easy ion transport. The results of FT-IR spectroscopy, XRD, and DSC studies reveal the plasticizing effect of tetramethyl succinonitrile to form an amorphous phase. This electrolyte results in a ∼661% gain in JSC and thereby a ∼552% gain in the cell efficiency (∼3.5%) with respect to the DSSC prepared with the tetramethyl succinonitrile-free electrolyte. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravindra Kumar Gupta
- King Abdullah Institute for Nanotechnology, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hamid Shaikh
- SABIC Polymer Research Center, College of Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11421, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahamad Imran
- King Abdullah Institute for Nanotechnology, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Idriss Bedja
- Cornea Research Chair, Department of Optometry, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11433, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah Saleh Aldwayyan
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
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Boldrini CL, Quivelli AF, Manfredi N, Capriati V, Abbotto A. Deep Eutectic Solvents in Solar Energy Technologies. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27030709. [PMID: 35163969 PMCID: PMC8838785 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27030709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) have been widely used in many fields to exploit their ecofriendly characteristics, from green synthetic procedures to environmentally benign industrial methods. In contrast, their application in emerging solar technologies, where the abundant and clean solar energy is used to properly respond to most important societal needs, is still relatively scarce. This represents a strong limitation since many solar devices make use of polluting or toxic components, thus seriously hampering their eco-friendly nature. Herein, we review the literature, mainly published in the last few years, on the use of DESs in representative solar technologies, from solar plants to last generation photovoltaics, featuring not only their passive role as green solvents, but also their active behavior arising from their peculiar chemical nature. This collection highlights the increasing and valuable role played by DESs in solar technologies, in the fulfillment of green chemistry requirements and for performance enhancement, in particular in terms of long-term temporal stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Liliana Boldrini
- Solar Energy Research Center MIBSOLAR, Department of Materials Science, INSTM Milano-Bicocca Research Unit, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cozzi 55, I-20125 Milano, Italy; (C.L.B.); (A.F.Q.); (N.M.)
| | - Andrea Francesca Quivelli
- Solar Energy Research Center MIBSOLAR, Department of Materials Science, INSTM Milano-Bicocca Research Unit, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cozzi 55, I-20125 Milano, Italy; (C.L.B.); (A.F.Q.); (N.M.)
| | - Norberto Manfredi
- Solar Energy Research Center MIBSOLAR, Department of Materials Science, INSTM Milano-Bicocca Research Unit, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cozzi 55, I-20125 Milano, Italy; (C.L.B.); (A.F.Q.); (N.M.)
| | - Vito Capriati
- Dipartimento di Farmacia–Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Bari “Aldo Moro”, Via E. Orabona 4, I-70125 Bari, Italy
- Consorzio C.I.N.M.P.I.S., Via E. Orabona 4, I-70125 Bari, Italy
- Correspondence: (V.C.); (A.A.); Tel.: +39-080-5442174 (V.C.); +39-02-64485227 (A.A.)
| | - Alessandro Abbotto
- Solar Energy Research Center MIBSOLAR, Department of Materials Science, INSTM Milano-Bicocca Research Unit, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cozzi 55, I-20125 Milano, Italy; (C.L.B.); (A.F.Q.); (N.M.)
- Correspondence: (V.C.); (A.A.); Tel.: +39-080-5442174 (V.C.); +39-02-64485227 (A.A.)
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Koo SJ, Kim JH, Kim YK, Shin M, Choi JW, Oh JW, Lee HW, Song M. Improved Light Harvesting of Fiber-Shaped Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells by Using a Bacteriophage Doping Method. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2021; 11:nano11123421. [PMID: 34947770 PMCID: PMC8705857 DOI: 10.3390/nano11123421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Fiber-shaped solar cells (FSCs) with flexibility, wearability, and wearability have emerged as a topic of intensive interest and development in recent years. Although the development of this material is still in its early stages, bacteriophage-metallic nanostructures, which exhibit prominent localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties, are one such material that has been utilized to further improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of solar cells. This study confirmed that fiber-shaped dye-sensitized solar cells (FDSSCs) enhanced by silver nanoparticles-embedded M13 bacteriophage (Ag@M13) can be developed as solar cell devices with better PCE than the solar cells without them. The PCE of FDSSCs was improved by adding the Ag@M13 into an iodine species (I−/I3−) based electrolyte, which is used for redox couple reactions. The optimized Ag@M13 enhanced FDSSC showed a PCE of up to 5.80%, which was improved by 16.7% compared to that of the reference device with 4.97%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Jun Koo
- Department of Energy and Electronic Materials, Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), Changwon 51508, Korea; (S.-J.K.); (J.H.K.); (J.W.C.)
- Department of Nano Fusion Technology, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
| | - Jae Ho Kim
- Department of Energy and Electronic Materials, Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), Changwon 51508, Korea; (S.-J.K.); (J.H.K.); (J.W.C.)
| | - Yong-Ki Kim
- School of Electronics and Information Engineering, Korea Aerospace University, Goyang 10540, Korea; (Y.-K.K.); (M.S.)
| | - Myunghun Shin
- School of Electronics and Information Engineering, Korea Aerospace University, Goyang 10540, Korea; (Y.-K.K.); (M.S.)
| | - Jin Woo Choi
- Department of Energy and Electronic Materials, Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), Changwon 51508, Korea; (S.-J.K.); (J.H.K.); (J.W.C.)
| | - Jin-Woo Oh
- Department of Nano Fusion Technology, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
- Bio-IT Fusion Technology Research Institute, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
- Correspondence: (J.-W.O.); (H.W.L.); (M.S.)
| | - Hyung Woo Lee
- Department of Nano Fusion Technology, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Korea
- Department of Nanoenergy Engineering and Research Center of Energy Convergence Technology, Pusan Natuional University, Busan 46241, Korea
- Correspondence: (J.-W.O.); (H.W.L.); (M.S.)
| | - Myungkwan Song
- Department of Energy and Electronic Materials, Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), Changwon 51508, Korea; (S.-J.K.); (J.H.K.); (J.W.C.)
- Correspondence: (J.-W.O.); (H.W.L.); (M.S.)
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Mauri L, Colombo A, Dragonetti C, Roberto D, Fagnani F. Recent Investigations on Thiocyanate-Free Ruthenium(II) 2,2'-Bipyridyl Complexes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26247638. [PMID: 34946719 PMCID: PMC8707669 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26247638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Three decades ago, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) emerged as a method for harnessing the energy of the sun and for converting it into electricity. Since then, a lot of work has been devoted to create better global photovoltaic efficiencies and long term stability. Among photosensitizers for DSSCs, thiocyanate-free ruthenium(II) complexes have gained increasing interest due to their better stability compared to conventional thiocyanate-based complexes, such as benchmark dyes N719 and Z907. In this mini-review, two classes of thiocyanate-free Ru(II) complexes are presented: (a) bis-bipyridyl compounds bearing an ancillary cyclometalating bidentate ligand; (b) bipyridyl compounds bearing non-cyclometalating ancillary ligands. The coverage, mainly from 2014 up to now, is not exhaustive, but illustrates the most recent design strategies and photovoltaic properties of these two families of ruthenium(II) dyes.
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Alnoman RB, Nabil E, Parveen S, Hagar M, Zakaria M, Hasanein AA. Synthesis and Computational Characterization of Organic UV-Dyes for Cosensitization of Transparent Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. Molecules 2021; 26:7336. [PMID: 34885926 PMCID: PMC8658785 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26237336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The fabrication of colorless and see-through dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) requires the photosensitizers to have little or no absorption in the visible light region of the solar spectrum. However, a trade-off between transparency and power conversion efficiency (PCE) has to be tackled, since most transparent DSCs are showing low PCE when compared to colorful and opaque DSCs. One strategy to increase PCE is applying two cosensitizers with selective conversion of the UV and NIR radiation, therefore, the non-visible part only is absorbed. In this study, we report synthesis of novel five UV-selective absorbers, based on diimide and Schiff bases incorporating carboxyl and pyridyl anchoring groups. A systematic computational investigation using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT approaches was employed to evaluate their prospect of application in transparent DSCs. Experimental UV/Vis absorption spectra showed that all dyes exhibit an absorption band covering the mid/near-UV region of solar spectrum, with a bathochromic shift and a hyperchromic shifts for Py-1 dye. Computational results showed that the studied dyes satisfied the basic photophysical and energetics requirements of operating DSC as well as the stability and thermodynamical spontaneity of adsorption onto surface of TiO2. However, results revealed outperformance of the thienothiophene core-containing Py-1 UV-dye, owing to its advantageous structural attributes, improved conjugation, intense emission, large Stokes shift and maximum charge transferred to the anchor. Chemical compatibility of Py-1 dye was then theoretically investigated as a potential cosensitizer of a reference VG20-C2 NIR-dye. By the judicious selection of pyridyl anchor-based UV-absorber (Py-1) and carboxyl anchor-based NIR-absorber (VG20), the advantage of the optical complementarity and selectivity of different TiO2-adsorption-site (Lewis- and Bronsted-acidic) can be achieved. An improved overall PCE is estimated accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rua B. Alnoman
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Taibah University, Yanbu 4642, Saudi Arabia; (R.B.A.); (S.P.)
| | - Eman Nabil
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21321, Egypt; (M.Z.); (A.A.H.)
| | - Shazia Parveen
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Taibah University, Yanbu 4642, Saudi Arabia; (R.B.A.); (S.P.)
| | - Mohamed Hagar
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Taibah University, Yanbu 4642, Saudi Arabia; (R.B.A.); (S.P.)
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21321, Egypt; (M.Z.); (A.A.H.)
| | - Mohamed Zakaria
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21321, Egypt; (M.Z.); (A.A.H.)
| | - Ahmed A. Hasanein
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21321, Egypt; (M.Z.); (A.A.H.)
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Shahiduzzaman M, Chen B, Akhtaruzzaman M, Wang L, Fukuhara H, Tomita K, Iwamori S, Nunzi JM, Taima T, Umezu S. Paste Aging Spontaneously Tunes TiO 2 Nanoparticles into Reproducible Electrosprayed Photoelectrodes. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2021; 13:53758-53766. [PMID: 34735118 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c13793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In this study, the spontaneous microstructure tuning of TiO2 was observed by aging the ethanol/water TiO2 paste for up to 20 days at ambient conditions. A dynamic light scattering study reveals that it formed the outstanding reproducible TiO2 microstructure with a ∼200 nm average particle size and stabilizes in 6 to 20 days under an ambient atmosphere. Interestingly, the as-deposited day 15 sample spontaneously changed its crystallinity upon keeping the paste at ambient conditions; meanwhile the day 0 sample showed an amorphous structure. A dense, uniform, and stable TiO2 electrode was cast on a fluorine doped-tin oxide substrate using the electrospray technique. We exploit the spontaneous evolution of the TiO2 nanopowder to revisit the fabrication procedure of the TiO2 photoelectrode for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The controlled microstructure TiO2 film was used in DSSCs, which, to the best of our knowledge, achieved the highest power conversion efficiency of 9.65% using N719 dye in sensitizing the TiO2 photoanode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Shahiduzzaman
- Nanomaterials Research Institute (NanoMaRi), Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
- Research Institute of Science and Technology (RIST), Tokai University, Kitakaname, Hiratsuka 259-1292, Japan
| | - Boyang Chen
- Department of Modern Mechanical Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Ookubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 269-8555, Japan
| | - Md Akhtaruzzaman
- Solar Energy Research Institute, The National University of Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor 43600, Malaysia
| | - LiangLe Wang
- Graduate School of Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Hiroki Fukuhara
- Department of Modern Mechanical Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Ookubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 269-8555, Japan
| | - Koji Tomita
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tokai University, Kitakaname, Hiratsuka 259-1292, Japan
| | - Satoru Iwamori
- Research Institute of Science and Technology (RIST), Tokai University, Kitakaname, Hiratsuka 259-1292, Japan
| | - Jean-Michel Nunzi
- Nanomaterials Research Institute (NanoMaRi), Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
- Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy, Queen's University, Kingston K7L-3N6 ON, Canada
| | - Tetsuya Taima
- Nanomaterials Research Institute (NanoMaRi), Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
- Graduate School of Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Shinjiro Umezu
- Department of Modern Mechanical Engineering, Waseda University, 3-4-1 Ookubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 269-8555, Japan
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Chen Y, Tang Y, Zou J, Zeng K, Baryshnikov G, Li C, Xie Y. Fluorenyl Indoline as an Efficient Electron Donor for Concerted Companion Dyes: Enhanced Light-Harvesting and Photocurrent. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2021; 13:49828-49839. [PMID: 34641667 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c12448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Concerted companion dyes (CC dyes) like XW61 have been demonstrated to be an effective platform for developing efficient DSSCs. However, the moderated phenothiazine-based electron donor in XW61 results in unsatisfactory Jsc. To address this problem, a stronger fluorenyl indoline-based electron donor has been used to construct porphyrin dye XW68 and organic dyes Y1-Y2. The stronger electron-donating character of the fluorenyl indoline unit leads to an enhanced Jsc value (20.48 mA·cm-2) for the individual dye XW68. On this basis, CC dyes XW69-XW70-C8 have been designed and synthesized by combining the frameworks of Y1 and Y2 with XW68. The complementary absorption characters of the porphyrin and the organic dye moieties lead to panchromatic absorption with a strong light-harvesting capability from 350 to 700 nm and the onset wavelength extended to ca. 840 nm in the IPCE curves. As a result, excellent Jsc values have been achieved (>22 mA·cm-2). In addition to the advantages of high Jsc, bulky octyl groups have been introduced into the donor of XW70-C8 to reduce dye aggregation and suppress charge recombination. Finally, a highest PCE of 11.1% with a satisfactory Jsc (22.25 mA·cm-2) and an enhanced Voc (750 mV) has been achieved upon coadsorption of XW70-C8 with CDCA. In addition, the CC dye XW70-C8-based solar cells exhibit excellent long-term photostability. These results provide an effective method for rationally improving the photovoltaic behavior, especially the Jsc of CC dyes, by introducing strong electron donor moieties with suitable substituents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Chen
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
| | - Yunyu Tang
- East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Jungong 300, Shanghai 200090, P. R. China
| | - Jiazhi Zou
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
| | - Kaiwen Zeng
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
| | - Glib Baryshnikov
- Department of Science and Technology, Laboratory of Organic Electronics, Linköping University, Norrköping SE-60174, Sweden
| | - Chengjie Li
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
| | - Yongshu Xie
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science & Technology, Shanghai 200237, P. R. China
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Wategaonkar SB, Parale VG, Mali SS, Hong CK, Pawar RP, Maldar PS, Moholkar AV, Park HH, Sargar BM, Mane RK. Influence of Tin Doped TiO 2 Nanorods on Dye Sensitized Solar Cells. Materials (Basel) 2021; 14:6282. [PMID: 34771806 DOI: 10.3390/ma14216282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Revised: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The one-step hydrothermal method was used to synthesize Sn-doped TiO2 (Sn-TiO2) thin films, in which the variation in Sn content ranged from 0 to 7-wt % and, further, its influence on the performance of a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) photoanode was studied. The deposited samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy, which confirmed the existence of the rutile phase of the synthesized samples with crystallite size ranges in between 20.1 to 22.3 nm. In addition, the bare and Sn-TiO2 thin films showed nanorod morphology. A reduction in the optical band gap from 2.78 to 2.62 eV was observed with increasing Sn content. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirmed Sn4+ was successfully replaced at the Ti4+ site. The 3-wt % Sn-TiO2 based DSSC showed the optimum efficiency of 4.01%, which was superior to 0.87% of bare and other doping concentrations of Sn-TiO2 based DSSCs. The present work reflects Sn-TiO2 as an advancing material with excellent capabilities, which can be used in photovoltaic energy conversion devices.
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Dorontić S, Jovanović S, Bonasera A. Shedding Light on Graphene Quantum Dots: Key Synthetic Strategies, Characterization Tools, and Cutting-Edge Applications. Materials (Basel) 2021; 14:ma14206153. [PMID: 34683745 PMCID: PMC8539078 DOI: 10.3390/ma14206153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
During the last 20 years, the scientific community has shown growing interest towards carbonaceous nanomaterials due to their appealing mechanical, thermal, and optical features, depending on the specific nanoforms. Among these, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) recently emerged as one of the most promising nanomaterials due to their outstanding electrical properties, chemical stability, and intense and tunable photoluminescence, as it is witnessed by a booming number of reported applications, ranging from the biological field to the photovoltaic market. To date, a plethora of synthetic protocols have been investigated to modulate the portfolio of features that GQDs possess and to facilitate the use of these materials for target applications. Considering the number of publications and the rapid evolution of this flourishing field of research, this review aims at providing a broad overview of the most widely established synthetic protocols and offering a detailed review of some specific applications that are attracting researchers’ interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Slađana Dorontić
- “Vinča” Institute of Nuclear Sciences—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 522, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia;
| | - Svetlana Jovanović
- “Vinča” Institute of Nuclear Sciences—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, P.O. Box 522, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia;
- Correspondence: (S.J.); (A.B.)
| | - Aurelio Bonasera
- Palermo Research Unit, Department of Physics and Chemistry—Emilio Segrè, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
- Correspondence: (S.J.); (A.B.)
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Sun M, Yun S, Shi J, Zhang Y, Arshad A, Dang J, Zhang L, Wang X, Liu Z. Designing and Understanding the Outstanding Tri-Iodide Reduction of N-Coordinated Magnetic Metal Modified Defect-Rich Carbon Dodecahedrons in Photovoltaics. Small 2021; 17:e2102300. [PMID: 34510727 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202102300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen-coordinated metal-modified carbon is regarded as a novel frontier electrocatalyst in energy conversion devices. However, the construction of intrinsic defects in a carbon matrix remains a great challenge. Herein, N-coordinated magnetic metal (Fe, Co) modified porous carbon dodecahedrons (Fe/Co-NPCD) with a large surface area, rich intrinsic defects, and evenly distributed metal-Nx species are successfully synthesized via the rational design of iron precursor and the bimetallic-organic frameworks. Because of a synergistic effect between N-coordinated dual magnetic metal active sites, the Fe/Co-NPCD exhibits exceptional electrocatalytic activity and electrochemical stability. A solar cell fabricates with the Fe/Co-NPCD yields an impressive power conversion efficiency of 8.35% in dye-sensitized solar cells, superior to that of mono-metal-doped carbon-based cells and conventional Pt-based cells. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations illustrate that Fe, Co, and N doping are in favor of improving the adsorption capacity of the catalyst for I3 - species by optimizing the magnetic momentum between the magnetic metal atoms, thereby upgrading its catalytic activity. This work develops a general strategy for synthesizing a high-performance defect-rich carbon-based catalyst, and offers valuable insight into the role of magnetic metals in catalysis, which can be used to guide the design of high-performance catalysts in the energy field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menglong Sun
- Functional Materials Laboratory (FML), School of Materials Science and engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710055, China
| | - Sining Yun
- Functional Materials Laboratory (FML), School of Materials Science and engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710055, China
| | - Jing Shi
- Department of physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University City College, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710018, China
| | - Yongwei Zhang
- Functional Materials Laboratory (FML), School of Materials Science and engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710055, China
| | - Asim Arshad
- Functional Materials Laboratory (FML), School of Materials Science and engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710055, China
| | - Jiaoe Dang
- Functional Materials Laboratory (FML), School of Materials Science and engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710055, China
| | - Lishan Zhang
- Functional Materials Laboratory (FML), School of Materials Science and engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710055, China
| | - Xi Wang
- Functional Materials Laboratory (FML), School of Materials Science and engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710055, China
| | - Zhuolei Liu
- Functional Materials Laboratory (FML), School of Materials Science and engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710055, China
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Monroy-Cárdenas M, Forero-Doria O, Araya-Maturana R, Martínez-Cifuentes M. An Experimental and Theoretical Study of Dye Properties of Thiophenyl Derivatives of 2-Hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (Lawsone). Materials (Basel) 2021; 14:5587. [PMID: 34639987 DOI: 10.3390/ma14195587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A prospective study of the dye properties of non-toxic lawsone thiophenyl derivatives, obtained using a green synthetic methodology allowed for the description of their bathochromic shifts in comparison to those of lawsone, a well-known natural pigment used as a colorant that recently also has aroused interest in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). These compounds exhibited colors close to red, with absorption bands in visible and UV wavelength range. The colorimetric study showed that these compounds exhibited a darker color than that of lawsone within a range of colors depending on the substituent in the phenyl ring. Computational calculations employing Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT), showed that the derivatives have lower excitation energies than lawsone, while the alignment of their frontier orbitals regarding the conduction bands of TiO2 and ZnO and the redox potential of the electrolyte I-/I3- suggests that they could be employed as sensitizers. The study of the interactions of the lawsone and a derivative with a TiO2 surface model by different anchoring modes, showed that the adsorption is thermodynamically favored. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis indicates a two-center bonding (BD) O-Ti as the main interaction of the dyes with TiO2.
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Li JW, Chen YS, Chen YF, Chen JX, Kuo CJ, Chen LY, Chiu CW. Enhanced Efficiency of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Polymer-Assisted Dispersion of Platinum Nanoparticles/Carbon Nanotubes Nanohybrid Films as FTO-Free Counter Electrodes. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:3103. [PMID: 34578004 DOI: 10.3390/polym13183103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, polymer-assisted dispersants are used to stabilize the nanohybrids of platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs)/carbon nanotubes (CNTs) through non-covalent bond forces. These dispersants aim to replace the florine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass in traditional dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) as counter electrodes. The large specific surface area, high conductivity, and redox potential of PtNPs/CNT nanohybrids are used as the basis to utilize them as the counter electrode material to fabricate a dye-sensitized solar cell. The conductivity results indicate that the resistance of the PtNP/CNT nanohybrid film can be reduced to 7.25 Ω/sq. When carbon nanotubes are mixed with platinum nanoparticles at a weight ratio of 5/1, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of DSSCs can reach 6.28%. When using the FTO-containing substrate as the counter electrode, its conversion efficiency indicates that the micro-/nano-hybrid material formed by PtNPs/CNTs also exhibits an excellent photoelectric conversion efficiency (8.45%) on the traditional FTO substrate. Further, a large-area dye-sensitive cell is fabricated, showing that an 8 cm × 8 cm cell has a conversion efficiency of 7.95%. Therefore, the traditional Pt counter electrode can be replaced with a PtNP/CNT nanohybrid film, which both provides dye-sensitive cells with a high photoelectric conversion efficiency and reduces costs.
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Zhou P, Liang J, Lin B, An Z, Chen R, Chen X, An Q, Chen P. Effect of the Spatial Configuration of Donors on the Photovoltaic Performance of Double D-π-A Organic Dyes. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2021; 13:40648-40655. [PMID: 34427076 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c11547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Three double D-π-A sensitizers (A1, A3, and A5) containing different donors (triphenylamine, methoxy-modified triphenylamine, and cyclic thiourea-functionalized triphenylamine) are synthesized to investigate the role of different donors in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Detailed investigations of the sensitizers reveal that the spatial characteristics of donor units have a considerable impact on the light-harvesting, electrochemistry, and photovoltaic properties. Benefiting from the strong shielding ability of alkyl chains in the donor to its branch chains as observed in density functional theory (DFT), the open-circuit voltage (VOC = 712.0 mV) of A5-based DSSC is higher than those of A1 and A3 by 90 and 78 mV, respectively. Therefore, the A5-based DSSC delivers a good efficiency of 8.54%, relying on its effective suppression of interfacial recombination. The results indicate that the judiciously tailored donor unit is an effective approach to optimize dye configurations to further improve power conversion efficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengjuan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shannxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Jianying Liang
- Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shannxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Bobing Lin
- Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shannxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Zhongwei An
- Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shannxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
- Xi'an Modern Chemistry Research Institute, Xi'an 710065, China
| | - Ran Chen
- Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shannxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Xinbing Chen
- Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shannxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
| | - Qi An
- North Institute of Scientific and Technical Information, Beijing 100089, China
| | - Pei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Applied Surface and Colloid Chemistry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shannxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062, China
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Lazzarin L, Pasini M, Menna E. Organic Functionalized Carbon Nanostructures for Solar Energy Conversion. Molecules 2021; 26:5286. [PMID: 34500718 PMCID: PMC8433975 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26175286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
This review presents an overview of the use of organic functionalized carbon nanostructures (CNSs) in solar energy conversion schemes. Our attention was focused in particular on the contribution of organic chemistry to the development of new hybrid materials that find application in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), organic photovoltaics (OPVs), and perovskite solar cells (PSCs), as well as in photocatalytic fuel production, focusing in particular on the most recent literature. The request for new materials able to accompany the green energy transition that are abundant, low-cost, low-toxicity, and made from renewable sources has further increased the interest in CNSs that meet all these requirements. The inclusion of an organic molecule, thanks to both covalent and non-covalent interactions, in a CNS leads to the development of a completely new hybrid material able of combining and improving the properties of both starting materials. In addition to the numerical data, which unequivocally state the positive effect of the new hybrid material, we hope that these examples can inspire further research in the field of photoactive materials from an organic point of view.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Lazzarin
- Department of Chemical Sciences & INSTM, University of Padua, Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy;
| | - Mariacecilia Pasini
- Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies “G. Natta”-SCITEC, National Research Council, CNR-SCITEC, Via Corti 12, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Enzo Menna
- Department of Chemical Sciences & INSTM, University of Padua, Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy;
- Interdepartmental Centre Giorgio Levi Cases for Energy Economics and Technology, University of Padua, 35131 Padova, Italy
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Huang YJ, Sahoo PK, Tsai DS, Lee CP. Recent Advances on Pt-Free Electro-Catalysts for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. Molecules 2021; 26:5186. [PMID: 34500618 PMCID: PMC8433667 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26175186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Since Prof. Grätzel and co-workers achieved breakthrough progress on dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) in 1991, DSSCs have been extensively investigated and wildly developed as a potential renewable power source in the last two decades due to their low cost, low energy-intensive processing, and high roll-to-roll compatibility. During this period, the highest efficiency recorded for DSSC under ideal solar light (AM 1.5G, 100 mW cm-2) has increased from ~7% to ~14.3%. For the practical use of solar cells, the performance of photovoltaic devices in several conditions with weak light irradiation (e.g., indoor) or various light incident angles are also an important item. Accordingly, DSSCs exhibit high competitiveness in solar cell markets because their performances are less affected by the light intensity and are less sensitive to the light incident angle. However, the most used catalyst in the counter electrode (CE) of a typical DSSC is platinum (Pt), which is an expensive noble metal and is rare on earth. To further reduce the cost of the fabrication of DSSCs on the industrial scale, it is better to develop Pt-free electro-catalysts for the CEs of DSSCs, such as transition metallic compounds, conducting polymers, carbonaceous materials, and their composites. In this article, we will provide a short review on the Pt-free electro-catalyst CEs of DSSCs with superior cell compared to Pt CEs; additionally, those selected reports were published within the past 5 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-June Huang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Prasanta Kumar Sahoo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan, Deemed to Be University, Bhubaneswar 751030, India;
| | - Dung-Sheng Tsai
- Department of Electronic Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City 32023, Taiwan
| | - Chuan-Pei Lee
- Department of Applied Physics and Chemistry, University of Taipei, Taipei 10048, Taiwan
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Augustowski D, Gala M, Kwaśnicki P, Rysz J. Efficiency Boost in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells by Post- Annealing UV-Ozone Treatment of TiO 2 Mesoporous Layer. Materials (Basel) 2021; 14:4698. [PMID: 34443219 DOI: 10.3390/ma14164698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The organic residues on titanium(IV) oxide may be a significant factor that decreases the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). Here, we suggest the UV-ozone cleaning process to remove impurities from the surface of TiO2 nanoparticles before dye-sensitizing. Data obtained from scanning electron microscopy, Kelvin probe, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy showed that the amounts of organic contamination were successfully reduced. Additionally, the UV-VIS spectrophotometry, spectrofluorometry, and secondary ion mass spectrometry proved that after ozonization, the dyeing process was relevantly enhanced. Due to the removal of organics, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the prepared DSSC devices was boosted from 4.59% to 5.89%, which was mostly caused by the increment of short circuit current (Jsc) and slight improvement of the open circuit voltage (Voc).
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Szindler M, Szindler M, Drygała A, Lukaszkowicz K, Kaim P, Pietruszka R. Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell for Building-Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) Applications. Materials (Basel) 2021; 14:ma14133743. [PMID: 34279313 PMCID: PMC8269900 DOI: 10.3390/ma14133743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
One of the important research directions in the field of photovoltaics is integration with construction. The integration of solar cell systems with a building can reduce installation costs and help optimize the used space. Among the few literature reports on photovoltaic roof tiles, solutions with silicon and thin film solar cells dominate. An interesting solution may be the application of dye-sensitized solar cells. In addition to their interesting properties, they also have aesthetic value. In the classic arrangement, they are constructed using glass with a transparent conductive layer (TCL). This article describes replacing a classic glass counter electrode with an electrode based on a ceramic tile and nickel foil. First, a continuous and homogeneous fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) thin film was developed so that the above-mentioned substrate could be applied. The atomization method was used for this purpose. Then, nanocolloidal platinum paste was deposited as a catalytic material using the screen printing method. The electrical parameters of the manufactured DSSCs with and without a counter electrode tile were characterized by measuring their current–voltage characteristics under standard AM 1.5 radiation. A dye-sensitized solar cell integrated with ceramic tiles and nickel foil was produced and displayed an efficiency of over 4%. This solution makes it possible to expand their construction applications. The advantage of this solution is full integration with construction, while simultaneously generating electricity. A dye-sensitized solar cell was built layer-by-layer on a ceramic tile and nickel foil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek Szindler
- Scientific and Didactic Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Material Technologies, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Towarowa 7 Str., 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
- Correspondence:
| | - Magdalena Szindler
- Department of Engineering Materials and Biomaterials, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 18a Str., 44-100 Gliwice, Poland; (M.S.); (A.D.); (K.L.); (P.K.)
| | - Aleksandra Drygała
- Department of Engineering Materials and Biomaterials, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 18a Str., 44-100 Gliwice, Poland; (M.S.); (A.D.); (K.L.); (P.K.)
| | - Krzysztof Lukaszkowicz
- Department of Engineering Materials and Biomaterials, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 18a Str., 44-100 Gliwice, Poland; (M.S.); (A.D.); (K.L.); (P.K.)
| | - Paulina Kaim
- Department of Engineering Materials and Biomaterials, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego 18a Str., 44-100 Gliwice, Poland; (M.S.); (A.D.); (K.L.); (P.K.)
| | - Rafał Pietruszka
- Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-668 Warsaw, Poland;
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Saleem M, Algahtani A, Rehman SU, Javed MS, Irshad K, Ali HM, Malik MZ, Ali A, Tirth V, Islam S. Solution Processed Zn 1-x-ySm xCu yO Nanorod Arrays for Dye Sensitized Solar Cells. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2021; 11:1710. [PMID: 34209592 DOI: 10.3390/nano11071710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Cu- and Sm-doped ZnO nanorod arrays were grown with 1 wt% of Sm and different weight percents (0.0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 wt%) of Cu by two-step hydrothermal method. The influence of Cu concentration and precursor of Sm on the structural, optical and photovoltaic properties of ZnO nanorod arrays was investigated. An X-ray diffraction study showed that the nanorod arrays grown along the (002) plane, i.e., c-axis, had hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure. The lattice strain is present in all samples and shows an increasing trend with Cu/Sm concentration. Field emission scanning electron microscopy was used to investigate the morphology and the nanorod arrays grown vertically on the FTO substrates. The diameter of nanorod arrays ranged from 68 nm to 137 nm and was found highly dependent on Cu concentration and Sm precursor while the density of nanorod arrays almost remains the same. The grown nanorod arrays served as photoelectrodes for fabricating dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The overall light to electricity conversion efficiency ranged from 1.74% (sample S1, doped with 1 wt% of Sm and 0.0 wt% of Cu) to more than 4.14% (sample S4, doped with 1 wt% of Sm and 1.5 wt% of Cu), which is 60% higher than former sample S1. The increment in DSSCs efficiency is attributed either because of the doping of Sm3+ ions which increase the absorption region of light spectrum by up/down conversion or the doping of Cu ions which decrease the recombination and backward transfer of photo-generated electrons and increase the electron transport mobility. This work indicates that the coupled use of Cu and Sm in ZnO nanorod array films have the potential to enhance the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells.
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50
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de Haro JC, Tatsi E, Fagiolari L, Bonomo M, Barolo C, Turri S, Bella F, Griffini G. Lignin-Based Polymer Electrolyte Membranes for Sustainable Aqueous Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. ACS Sustain Chem Eng 2021; 9:8550-8560. [PMID: 34239783 PMCID: PMC8243320 DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c01882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
In the quest for sustainable materials for quasi-solid-state (QS) electrolytes in aqueous dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), novel bioderived polymeric membranes were prepared in this work by reaction of preoxidized kraft lignin with poly(ethylene glycol)diglycidylether (PEGDGE). The effect of the PEGDGE/lignin relative proportions on the characteristics of the obtained membranes was thoroughly investigated, and clear structure-property correlations were highlighted. In particular, the glass transition temperature of the materials was found to decrease by increasing the amount of PEGDGE in the formulation, indicating that polyethylene glycol chains act as flexible segments that increase the molecular mobility of the three-dimensional polymeric network. Concurrently, their swelling ability in liquid electrolyte was found to increase with the concentration of PEGDGE, which was also shown to influence the ionic transport efficiency within the membrane. The incorporation of these lignin-based cross-linked systems as QS electrolyte frameworks in aqueous DSSCs allowed the preparation of devices with excellent long-term stability under UV-vis light, which were found to be superior to benchmark QS-DSSCs incorporating state-of-the-art carboxymethylcellulose membranes. This study provides the first demonstration of lignin-based QS electrolytes for stable aqueous DSSCs, establishing a straightforward strategy to exploit the potential of lignin as a functional polymer precursor for the field of sustainable photovoltaic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos de Haro
- Department
of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Elisavet Tatsi
- Department
of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Lucia Fagiolari
- Department
of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico
di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy
| | - Matteo Bonomo
- Department
of Chemistry, NIS Interdepartmental Centre and INSTM Reference Centre, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy
| | - Claudia Barolo
- Department
of Chemistry, NIS Interdepartmental Centre and INSTM Reference Centre, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy
- ICxT
Interdepartmental Centre, Università
degli Studi di Torino, Via Lungo Dora Siena 100, 10153 Turin, Italy
| | - Stefano Turri
- Department
of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
- National
Interuniversity Consortium of Material Science and Technology (INSTM), Via Giuseppe Giusti 9, 50121 Firenze, Italy
| | - Federico Bella
- Department
of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico
di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy
- National
Interuniversity Consortium of Material Science and Technology (INSTM), Via Giuseppe Giusti 9, 50121 Firenze, Italy
| | - Gianmarco Griffini
- Department
of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
- National
Interuniversity Consortium of Material Science and Technology (INSTM), Via Giuseppe Giusti 9, 50121 Firenze, Italy
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