Article abstract
Nature Photonics 2, 693 - 698 (2008)
Published online: 19 October 2008 | doi:10.1038/nphoton.2008.224
Subject Category: Solar energy and photovoltaic technology
Bifacial dye-sensitized solar cells based on an ionic liquid electrolyte
Seigo Ito1,2, Shaik M. Zakeeruddin2, Pascal Comte2, Paul Liska2, Daibin Kuang2 & Michael Grätzel2
Abstract
Solar energy is a promising solution to global energy-related problems because it is clean, inexhaustible and readily available. However, the deployment of conventional photovoltaic cells based on silicon is still limited by cost, so alternative, more cost-effective approaches are sought. Here we report a bifacial dye-sensitized solar cell structure that provides high photo-energy conversion efficiency (
6%) for incident light striking its front or rear surfaces. The design comprises a highly stable ruthenium dye (Z907Na) in combination with an ionic-liquid electrolyte and a porous TiO2 layer. The inclusion of a SiO2 layer between the electrodes to prevent generation of unwanted back current and optimization of the thickness of the TiO2 layer are responsible for the enhanced performance.
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Hyogo, 2167 Shosha, Himeji, Hyogo 671-2280, Japan
- Laboratoire de Photonique et Interfaces, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
Correspondence to: Seigo Ito1,2 e-mail: itou@eng.u-hyogo.ac.jp
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