Impermeable flexible liquid barrier film for encapsulation of DSSC metal electrodes.
Encapsulation of electronic devices such as dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is prone to degradation under normal atmospheric conditions, even with hermetic barriers on the metal electrodes. Overcoming this problem is crucial to increasing DSSC lifetimes and making them commercially viable. Herein, we report a new impermeable flexible liquid barrier film using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and partially reduced graphene oxide (PrGO), which dramatically enhances the lifetime of Ag metal electrodes (typically used in DSSCs) immersed in a highly acidic iodolyte solution. The Ag metal electrode encapsulated by the PVA/PrGO film survived for over 500 hrs, superior to existing barriers of glass frits, epoxy resins and polymers. The PVA/PrGO film strongly adheres to the Ag metal surface, and the resulting PVA/PrGO/Ag electrode is stable even on a curved substrate, with a sheet resistance nearly independent of curvature. These results give new insight for the design of high-performance and solution-processable flexible liquid barrier films for a wide range of applications, in particular for the encapsulation of electronic devices with liquid electrolytes.
Centre for Integrated Nanostructure Physics (CINAP), Institute of Basic Science (IBS), Department of Chemistry, and Department of Energy Science, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea.
Junghee
J
Yang
Centre for Integrated Nanostructure Physics (CINAP), Institute of Basic Science (IBS), Department of Chemistry, and Department of Energy Science, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea.
Misook
M
Min
Centre for Integrated Nanostructure Physics (CINAP), Institute of Basic Science (IBS), Department of Chemistry, and Department of Energy Science, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea.
Yeoheung
Y
Yoon
Hyundai Motor Group, Environment &Energy Research Team, 37, Cheoldobangmulgwan-ro, Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea.
Won Jung
WJ
Kim
Hyundai Motor Group, Environment &Energy Research Team, 37, Cheoldobangmulgwan-ro, Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea.
Sol
S
Kim
Centre for Integrated Nanostructure Physics (CINAP), Institute of Basic Science (IBS), Department of Chemistry, and Department of Energy Science, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea.
Hyoyoung
H
Lee