title: Inkjet Printing NiO-Based p-Type Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.
abstract: Fabrication at low cost of transparent p-type semiconductors with suitable electronic properties is essential toward the scalability of many electronic devices, especially for photovoltaic and photocatalytic applications. In this context, the synthesis of mesoporous NiO films through inkjet printing of a sol-gel ink was investigated for the first time. Nickel chloride and Pluronic F-127, used as nickel oxide precursor and pore-forming agent, respectively, were formulated in a water/ethanol mixture to prepare a jettable ink for Dimatix printer. Multilayer NiO films were formed, and different morphologies could be obtained by playing on the interlayer thermal treatment. At low temperature (30 °C), a porous nanoparticulate-nanofiber dual-pore structure was observed. On the other hand, with a high temperature treatment (450 °C), nanoparticulate denser films without any dual structure were obtained. The mechanism for NiO formation during the final sintering step, investigated by means of X-ray photolectron spectroscopy, shows that a Ni(OH)2species is an intermediate between NiCl2and NiO. The different morphologies and thicknesses of the NiO films were correlated to their performance in a p-DSSC configuration, using a new push-pull dye (so-called "RBG-174") and an iodine-based electrolyte. Moreover, the positive impact of a nanometric NiOxlayer deposited by spin-coating and introduced between FTO and the NiO mesoporous network is highlighted in the present work. The best results were obtained with NiOx/four layer-NiO mesoporous photocathodes of 860 nm, with a current density at the short circuit of 3.42 mA cm-2(irradiance of 100 mW cm-2spectroscopically distributed following AM 1.5).
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Innovation in Surface Chemistry and Nanosciences (LICSEN), NIMBE, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay , CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, Cedex, France.
authors.forename: R
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0309-954X
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brisse
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Innovation in Surface Chemistry and Nanosciences (LICSEN), NIMBE, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay , CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, Cedex, France.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Faddoul
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Innovation in Surface Chemistry and Nanosciences (LICSEN), NIMBE, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay , CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, Cedex, France.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bourgeteau
authors.affiliation: LPICM, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Université Paris Saclay , 91128 Palaiseau, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tondelier
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Innovation in Surface Chemistry and Nanosciences (LICSEN), NIMBE, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay , CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, Cedex, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leroy
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Innovation in Surface Chemistry and Nanosciences (LICSEN), NIMBE, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay , CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, Cedex, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Campidelli
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Innovation in Surface Chemistry and Nanosciences (LICSEN), NIMBE, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay , CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, Cedex, France.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Berthelot
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Innovation in Surface Chemistry and Nanosciences (LICSEN), NIMBE, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay , CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, Cedex, France.|LPICM, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Université Paris Saclay , 91128 Palaiseau, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Geffroy
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Innovation in Surface Chemistry and Nanosciences (LICSEN), NIMBE, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay , CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, Cedex, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4964-5120
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jousselme
keywords: dye-sensitized solar cells; inkjet printing; morphology control; nickel oxide; sol−gel