TY - JOUR
T1 - Dye Sensitized Solar Cells
T2 - Energetic Considerations and Applications
AU - Gregg, Brian A.
AU - Zaban, Arie
AU - Ferrere, Suzanne
PY - 1999/1
Y1 - 1999/1
N2 - The high concentration of electrolyte ions permeating the nanoporous films of dye sensitized solar cells eliminates all but nanoscopic electric fields in the solution and in the TiO2. The only substantial electric field is expected to occur at the Ti2/solution interface, and it is primarily across this interface that the photopotential drops in operating cells. In the dark, the low conductivity of the Ti2 and the high conductivity of the solution ensure that applied potentials drop over only a small fraction of the nanoporous Ti2 film near the substrate electrode. Therefore, measurements in the dark cannot be directly compared to measurements under illumination because the latter access most or all of the Ti2 film. The sensitizing dye is located partially inside the electrochemical double layer at the Ti2/solution interface and so its redox potential is not fixed relative to either the Ti2 or the solution. If the dye is mostly inside the double layer, its potential will tend to follow that of the Ti2 if it is mostly outside, it will be almost independent of the Ti2. Different photovoltage-limiting kinetic steps can result in these two cases. The narrow absorption spectra of many dyes provides the dye cells with a natural advantage over conventional solar cells in applications such as photoelectrochromic windows and power windows.
AB - The high concentration of electrolyte ions permeating the nanoporous films of dye sensitized solar cells eliminates all but nanoscopic electric fields in the solution and in the TiO2. The only substantial electric field is expected to occur at the Ti2/solution interface, and it is primarily across this interface that the photopotential drops in operating cells. In the dark, the low conductivity of the Ti2 and the high conductivity of the solution ensure that applied potentials drop over only a small fraction of the nanoporous Ti2 film near the substrate electrode. Therefore, measurements in the dark cannot be directly compared to measurements under illumination because the latter access most or all of the Ti2 film. The sensitizing dye is located partially inside the electrochemical double layer at the Ti2/solution interface and so its redox potential is not fixed relative to either the Ti2 or the solution. If the dye is mostly inside the double layer, its potential will tend to follow that of the Ti2 if it is mostly outside, it will be almost independent of the Ti2. Different photovoltage-limiting kinetic steps can result in these two cases. The narrow absorption spectra of many dyes provides the dye cells with a natural advantage over conventional solar cells in applications such as photoelectrochromic windows and power windows.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0004426945&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1524/zpch.1999.212.Part_1.011
DO - 10.1524/zpch.1999.212.Part_1.011
M3 - ???researchoutput.researchoutputtypes.contributiontojournal.article???
AN - SCOPUS:0004426945
SN - 0942-9352
VL - 212
SP - 11
EP - 22
JO - Zeitschrift fur Physikalische Chemie
JF - Zeitschrift fur Physikalische Chemie
IS - Part_1
ER -