Efficiency enhancement of photovoltaic performance of dye sensitized solar cell using conducting polymer electrolyte of different functional group

Abstract

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) which have a polymer electrolyte added to with various function groups were studied to determine the effect of their composition on the efficiency of the solar cell. Four function group polymers got employed, those groups are polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyvinyl acetate (PVA), polyethylene oxide (PEO) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN). The iodine salt cation is caged by the function groups which cause a positive shift in the dye HOMO level and result in a deceleration in the recombination rate more than that of ordinary iodine electrolyte. The polymer electrolyte ionic conductivity improves the rate of the dye regeneration to make it faster than ordinary iodine as well. Adding pyridine to electrolyte solution makes the conduction band of the TiO2 more negative leading to an increase in the open circuit voltage (Voc). The photo generated current (Jsc) is increased by the employed configureuration, subsequently, the solar cell photovoltaic efficiency is enlarged. PVA is with highest efficiency at 8%, unlike the rest of the polymers which show lower efficiencies.