title: Dual Functional Polymer Interlayer for Facilitating Ion Transport and Reducing Charge Recombination in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.
abstract: Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) present low-cost alternatives to conventional wafer-based inorganic solar cells and have remarkable power conversion efficiency. To further enhance performance, we propose a new DSSC architecture with a novel dual-functional polymer interlayer that prevents charge recombination and facilitates ionic conduction, as well as maintaining dye loading and regeneration. Poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) (p(VDF-TrFE)) was coated on the outside of a dye-sensitized TiO2photoanode by a simple solution process that did not sacrifice the amount of adsorbed dye molecules in the DSSC device. Light-intensity-modulated photocurrent and photovoltage spectroscopy revealed that the proposed p(VDF-TrFE)-coated anode yielded longer electron lifetime and improved the injection of photogenerated electrons into TiO2, thereby reducing the electron transport time. Comparative cyclic voltammetry and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy based on a ferrocene-ferrocenium external standard material demonstrated that p(VDF-TrFE) enhanced the power conversion efficiency from 7.67% to 9.11%. This dual functional p(VDF-TrFE) interlayer is a promising candidate for improving the performance of DSSCs and can also be employed in other electrochemical devices.
authors.forename: Ying-Chiao
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shao-Sian
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Cheng-Yen
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology , Taipei 10617, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Liang-Yih
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Kuo-Chuan
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Chun-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Chen
keywords: dye-sensitized solar cell; ionic conductivity; p(VDF-TrFE) copolymer; recombination; solution process