Long-Term Stability Improvement of Non-Toxic Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells via Poly(ethylene oxide) Gel Electrolytes for Future Textile-Based Solar Cells

• Published in: Polymers Vol. 12; no. 12; p. 3035
• Main Authors: Storck, Jan Lukas, Dotter, Marius, Adabra, Sonia, Surjawidjaja, Michelle, Brockhagen, Bennet, Grothe, Timo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 18.12.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Alternative energy sources; Conductivity; Dimethyl sulfoxide; dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO); Dye-sensitized solar cells; dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC); Dyes; Efficiency; Electrodes; Electrolytes; Electrolytic cells; Ethylene oxide; Evaporation; gel electrolyte; Hazardous materials; Iodine; Ionic liquids; long-term stability; Photovoltaic cells; poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO); Polyethylene oxide; Polymers; Progressions; Solvents; Stability; Germany; gel electrolyte; natural dyes; efficiency; long-term stability; dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO); dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC); poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO); non-toxic
• ISSN: 2073-4360; 2073-4360
• DOI: 10.3390/polym12123035

To overcome the long-term stability problems of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) due to solvent evaporation and leakage, gelling the electrolyte with polymers is an appropriate option. Especially for future applications of textile-based DSSCs, which require cost-effective and environmentally friendly materials, such an improvement of the electrolyte is necessary. Therefore, the temporal progressions of efficiencies and fill factors of non-toxic glass-based DSSCs resulting from different gel electrolytes with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) are investigated over 52 days comparatively. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) proved to be a suitable non-toxic solvent for the proposed gel electrolyte without ionic liquids. A PEO concentration of 17.4 wt% resulted in an optimal compromise with a relatively high efficiency over the entire period. Lower concentrations resulted in higher efficiencies during the first days but in a poorer long-term stability, whereas a higher PEO concentration resulted in an overall lower efficiency. Solvent remaining in the gel electrolyte during application was found advantageous compared to previous solvent evaporation. In contrast to a commercial liquid electrolyte, the long-term stability regarding the efficiency was improved successfully with a similar fill factor and thus equal quality.