Novel high performance electrolyte compositions for dye-sensitized solar cells based on benzonitrile

Daniele Gozzi^a, Carmen Cavallo^a, Fadi Kamal Aldibaja^a, Alessandro Latini^a

^aUniversità di Roma La Sapienza, Piazzale Aldo Moro, 5, Roma, Italy

International Conference on Hybrid and Organic Photovoltaics
Proceedings of International Conference on Hybrid and Organic Photovoltaics 2015 (HOPV15)

Roma, Italy, 2015 May 11th - 13th

Organizer: Filippo De Angelis

Poster, Alessandro Latini, 200
Publication date: 5th February 2015

High performance, non-volatile benzonitrile-based electrolytes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are presented. Benzonitrile, possessing a very low vapour pressure at ambient temperature (nearly half of that of 3-methoxypropionitrile, the most common non-volatile solvent used for DSSC electrolytes) and a remarkable chemical stability, ensures long-term operation to the cells and efficiency values were found around 8% for more than 1300 hours. The cells used for these measurement were assembled using commercial P90 titania photoanodes sensitized by N719 dye. By using the electrolytes developed during this research activity, neither complex dyes nor surface passivating agents are required to obtain satisfactory efficiency values, differently from the case of 3-methoxypropionitrile-based compositions. The results obtained in this work may constitute an important step towards devices with stable performances for commercially useful periods of time.The electrolytes were characterized by specific conductivity vs. temperature, diffusion coefficient of I₃^-and redox potential of the I₃^--I^- couple measurements. Efficiencies, dark currents and IPCE values of DSSCs were determined for each of the electrolytes presented.

Latini, A.; Aldibaja, F. K.; Cavallo, C.; Gozzi, D. Benzonitrile based electrolytes for best operation of dye sensitized solar cells. Journal of Power Sources 2014, 269, 308-316.

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