Comparative Study of Quasi-Solid-State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Using Z907, N719, Photoactive Phenothiazine Dyes and PVDF-HFP Gel Polymer Electrolytes with Different Molecular Weights

• DOI: 10.3390/photonics11080760
• Publication Date: 2024-08-14T14:28:41Z
• Authors: Rakesh A. Afre; Ka Yeon Ryu; Won Suk Shin; Diego Pugliese
• Keywords: Quasi-solid; Photoactive layer

The present study investigates the influence of photosensitizer selection and polymer electrolyte composition on performance quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (QsDSSCs). Two benchmark ruthenium dyes, N719 Z907, alongside a novel photoactive phenothiazine dye were used. Each was incorporated into QsDSSC architecture employing poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) as gel matrix, with varying molecular weights, to investigate their impacts overall device long-term stability. Our results demonstrated that exhibited highest power conversion efficiency (PCE), attributed its strong absorption in visible spectrum efficient electron injection TiO2 photoanode. other hand, showed moderate PCE due broader profile but slower kinetics. revealed promising PCE, tunable properties charge transfer. Furthermore, impact PVDF-HFP electrolytes weights cell stability explored. incorporating PVH80 reduced desorption, effective molecules’ immobilization by consequently enhanced over 600 h. This comparative sheds light interplay between selection, gel’s properties, QsDSSCs’ performance. These insights are crucial designing robust QsDSSCs for practical applications.