Photovoltaic enhancement of dye-sensitized solar cell prepared from [TiO 2/ethyl cellulose/terpineol] paste employing TRITON™ X-based surfactant with carboxylic acid group in the oxyethylene chain end

• Published in: Materials chemistry and physics 2009-07, Vol.116 (1), p.46-51
• Main Authors: Nam, Jung-Gyu, Lee, Eun-Sung, Jung, Won-Cheol, Park, Young-Jun, Sohn, Byung-Hee, Park, Sang-Cheol, Kim, Joo Sung, Bae, Jin-Young
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Dye-sensitized solar cell; Nanocrystalline TiO 2; Surfactant; TRITON™ X
• ISSN: 0254-0584; 1879-3312
• DOI: 10.1016/j.matchemphys.2009.02.037

This paper describes the formulation of nanocrystalline TiO 2 paste for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) applications employing a series of TRITON™ X-based surfactants with an octyl phenol ethoxylate (OPE) backbone and various chain ends. Five different functional group-terminated TRITON™ X (or OPE) derivatives, [OPE5-OH], [OPE5-COOH], [OPE5-NH 2], [OPE5-Imidazole], and [OPE5-OPO(OH) 2], were prepared from OPE of 5 oxyethylene units ( n = 5). The carboxylic acid-terminated TRITON™ X (i.e. OPE5-COOH) was found to be the dispersant showing the lowest viscosity of [TiO 2/ethyl cellulose/terpineol] paste. The photoanode film from the TiO 2 paste was built up on a conducting glass plate by a screen printing process followed by sintering heat treatments. Then, the TiO 2 film showed higher particle density in comparison with the control sample film prepared from the corresponding paste with no dispersant. The solar cell fabricated from the prepared TiO 2 film exhibited improved photocurrent characteristics under illumination.