Instability of dye-sensitized solar cells using natural dyes and approaches to improving stability – An overview

• Published in: Sustainable energy technologies and assessments 2022-08, Vol.52, p.102196, Article 102196
• Main Authors: Kabir, Fahmid, Manir, Serajum, Bhuiyan, Md. Mossaraf Hossain, Aftab, Sikandar, Ghanbari, Hamidreza, Hasani, Amirhossein, Fawzy, Mirette, De Silva, G.L. Thushani, Mohammadzadeh, Mohammad Reza, Ahmadi, Ribwar, Abnavi, Amin, Askar, Abdelrahman M., Adachi, Michael M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cell instability; Chemical instability; DSSC; Natural dye-based DSSC; Physical instability
• ISSN: 2213-1388
• DOI: 10.1016/j.seta.2022.102196

•The usage of natural dye-based DSSC is limited due to the cell's long-term stability.•The instability of DSSCs is divided into physical and chemical instabilities.•For physical instability, electrolyte evaporation or bleaching, exposure to UV, and humidity are discussed.•For chemical instability, the effect of oxygen, water, temperature, and degradation of dye, electrolyte, counter electrode during the operation are discussed.•Different cell performance and stability-enhancing technologies, such as UV filter, sealants, encapsulation, electrolyte development, and counter electrode material, are discussed. Natural dye-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have attracted considerable attention due to their eco-friendly production, low-cost manufacturing methodologies, and competitive efficiency. However, the lack of long-term stability of the cell limits the use of natural dye-based DSSCs. This review article focuses on different reasons for the instability of natural dye-based DSSCs. For a comprehensive study, cell instability of natural dye-based DSSC is divided into physical (effect of temperature, UV illumination, and humidity) and chemical instabilities (degradation of dye sensitizer, electrolyte, and counter electrode, and effect of temperature, radiation, water, and oxygen). Finally, different mechanisms to increase cell stability (UV filter, sealant, development of electrolyte, and counter electrode) are presented. This article panoramically reviews the natural dye-based DSSCs instability and additional stability enhancing technologies, which significantly improves the performance of DSSCs.