title: High-efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells with ferrocene-based electrolytes.
abstract: Dye-sensitized solar cells based on iodide/triiodide (I(-)/I(3)(-)) electrolytes are viable low-cost alternatives to conventional silicon solar cells. However, as well as providing record efficiencies of up to 12.0%, the use of I(-)/I(3)(-) in such solar cells also brings about certain limitations that stem from its corrosive nature and complex two-electron redox chemistry. Alternative redox mediators have been investigated, but these generally fall well short of matching the performance of conventional I(-)/I(3)(-) electrolytes. Here, we report energy conversion efficiencies of 7.5% (simulated sunlight, AM1.5, 1,000 W m(-2)) for dye-sensitized solar cells combining the archetypal ferrocene/ferrocenium (Fc/Fc(+)) single-electron redox couple with a novel metal-free organic donor-acceptor sensitizer (Carbz-PAHTDTT). These Fc/Fc(+)-based devices exceed the efficiency achieved for devices prepared using I(-)/I(3)(-) electrolytes under comparable conditions, revealing the great potential of ferrocene-based electrolytes in future dye-sensitized solar cells applications. This improvement results from a more favourable matching of the redox potential of the ferrocene couple with that of the new donor-acceptor sensitizer.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Monash University, Victoria 3800, Australia.
authors.forename: Torben
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Daeneke
authors.forename: Tae-Hyuk
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Andrew B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: Noel W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Duffy
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bach
authors.forename: Leone
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spiccia
mesh_terms: D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D058266:Dielectric Spectroscopy; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D004583:Electrons; D005296:Ferrous Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D000075163:Metallocenes; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D012993:Solar Energy
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D004573:Electrolytes; D005296:Ferrous Compounds; D000075163:Metallocenes; C064804:ferrocenium; C004998:ferrocene