title: Regenerable photovoltaic devices with a hydrogel-embedded microvascular network.
abstract: Light-driven degradation of photoactive molecules could be one of the major obstacles to stable long term operation of organic dye-based solar light harvesting devices. One solution to this problem may be mimicking the regeneration functionality of a plant leaf. We report an organic dye photovoltaic system that has been endowed with such microfluidic regeneration functionality. A hydrogel medium with embedded channels allows rapid and uniform supply of photoactive reagents by a convection-diffusion mechanism. A washing-activation cycle enables reliable replacement of the organic component in a dye-sensitized photovoltaic system. Repetitive restoration of photovoltaic performance after intensive device degradation is demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7905, USA.
authors.forename: Hyung-Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.forename: Orlin D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Velev
mesh_terms: D032701:Biomimetics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D017743:Equipment Reuse; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry*; D008027:Light; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D055806:Microvessels; D018515:Plant Leaves; D012038:Regeneration; D012993:Solar Energy
chemical_list: D020100:Hydrogels
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