The Application of Electrospun Titania Nanofibers in Dye-sensitized Solar Cells

Authors

  • Hana Krysova J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Dolejškova 3, CZ-18223 Prague 8, Czech Republic
  • Arnost Zukal J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Dolejškova 3, CZ-18223 Prague 8, Czech Republic
  • Jana Trckova-Barakova ELMARCO, s.r.o., V Horkach 76/18, CZ-460 07 Liberec, Czech Republic
  • Aravind Kumar Chandiran Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
  • Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
  • Michael Grätzel Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
  • Ladislav Kavan J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, v.v.i., Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Dolejškova 3, CZ-18223 Prague 8, Czech Republic. kavan@jh-inst.cas.cz

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2013.149

Keywords:

Dye-sensitized solar cells, Electrospinning, Titanium dioxide

Abstract

Titania nanofibers were fabricated using the industrial NanospiderTM technology. The preparative protocol was optimized by screening various precursor materials to get pure anatase nanofibers. Composite films were prepared by mixing a commercial paste of nanocrystalline anatase particles with the electrospun nanofibers, which were shortened by milling. The composite films were sensitized by Ru-bipyridine dye (coded C106) and the solar conversion efficiency was tested in a dye-sensitized solar cell filled with iodide-based electrolyte solution (coded Z960). The solar conversion efficiency of a solar cell with the optimized composite electrode (? = 7.53% at AM 1.5 irradiation) outperforms that of a solar cell with pure nanoparticle film (? = 5.44%). Still larger improvement was found for lower light intensities. At 10% sun illumination, the best composite electrode showed ? = 7.04%, referenced to that of pure nanoparticle film (? = 4.69%). There are non-monotonic relations between the film's surface area, dye sorption capacity and solar performance of nanofiber-containing composite films, but the beneficial effect of the nanofiber morphology for enhancement of the solar efficiency has been demonstrated.

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Published

2013-03-27

How to Cite

[1]
H. Krysova, A. Zukal, J. Trckova-Barakova, A. K. Chandiran, M. K. Nazeeruddin, M. Grätzel, L. Kavan, Chimia 2013, 67, 149, DOI: 10.2533/chimia.2013.149.

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Section

Scientific Articles