A water-based and metal-free dye solar cell exceeding 7% efficiency using a cationic poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) derivative

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Abstract

A green, efficient and stable solar cell based only on water and safe and cheap elements of the periodic table is proposed in this work, finally consolidating (also from a sustainability viewpoint) the concept of "artificial photosynthesis" studied for decades by the scientific community. The concept of dye-sensitized solar cells is re-proposed here with a metal-free organic dye, an iodine-based electrolyte in a 100% aqueous environment and a new cathode (cationic PEDOT) synthesized for the first time with the aim of inhibiting the repulsion between the anions of redox couples and the PEDOT:PSS matrix commonly used as the counter-electrode. This elegant setup leads to a record efficiency of 7.02%, the highest value ever obtained for a water-based solar cell and, in general, for a photovoltaic device free of both organic solvents and expensive/heavy metals.

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Bella, F., Porcarelli, L., Mantione, D., Gerbaldi, C., Barolo, C., Grätzel, M., & Mecerreyes, D. (2020). A water-based and metal-free dye solar cell exceeding 7% efficiency using a cationic poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) derivative. Chemical Science, 11(6), 1485–1493. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9sc05596g

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