Understanding Mass Transport in Copper Electrolyte-Based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Copper redox shuttles, particularly [Cu(tmby)2]2+/1+ (tmby = bis(4,4',6,6'-tetramethyl-2,2'-bipyridine)), proved to be among the best electrolytes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), realizing higher power conversion efficiencies both under full sun and indoor illumination than con...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:ACS applied energy materials 2022-03, Vol.5 (3)
Main Authors: Velore, Jayadev, Chandra Pradhan, Sourava, Hamann, Thomas W., Hagfeldt, Anders, Unni, K. Narayanan, Soman, Suraj
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
copper electrolyte
D35:XY1
dye-sensitized solar cell
mass transport
nonlinearity
quantum efficiency
SOLAR ENERGY
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Summary:Copper redox shuttles, particularly [Cu(tmby)2]2+/1+ (tmby = bis(4,4',6,6'-tetramethyl-2,2'-bipyridine)), proved to be among the best electrolytes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), realizing higher power conversion efficiencies both under full sun and indoor illumination than conventional iodide/triiodide and cobalt electrolytes. Even though [Cu(tmby)2]2+/1+ renders a relatively higher performance, this metal complex is bulky and is limited by mass transport. Since the regeneration of the dye ground state by CuI and the reaction of CuII at the counter electrode are comparatively faster processes, the efficiency of DSC involving CuI/CuII electrolytes under relatively high light intensities is largely governed by the diffusion of CuI/CuII species. Understanding mass transport in these solar cells will enable further improvements in the performance of such copper-based DSCs. Here in the present study, the role of illumination intensity on the photogenerated current and its relationship to mass transport is evaluated using the best cosensitized dye (D35:XY1) and copper electrolyte ([Cu(tmby)2]2+/1+) combination.
ISSN:2574-0962
2574-0962