The effect of ionic liquid electrolyte concentrations in dye sensitized solar cell using gel electrolyte

Abstract

Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) have received much attention because of some advantages, such as using environment-friendly materials and requiring less high-tech equipment. Commonly DSSCs are built using conventional electrolyte solution, which is prone to electrolyte leakage and low stability. In this paper, we present the characteristics of DSSCs using gel electrolyte, which was made of ionic liquid and hybrid polymer gel, and the effect of ionic liquid concentration on their characteristics. The hybrid composite polymer was composed of siloxane and ethylene glycol polymer networks. Their working performances were investigated by the current-voltage (J-V) characterizations and small ac impedance measurements, which are correlated with the concentrations of ionic liquid electrolyte. The experimental results showed that cell working performance slightly decreased but the solution leakage problem was eliminated.