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Investigation of Dye Regeneration Kinetics in Sensitized Solar Cells by Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy
Author(s) -
Zhang Bingyan,
Xu Xiaobao,
Zhang Xiaofan,
Huang Dekang,
Li Shaohui,
Zhang Yibo,
Zhan Fang,
Deng Mingzhang,
He Yahui,
Chen Wei,
Shen Yan,
Wang Mingkui
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
chemphyschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.016
H-Index - 140
eISSN - 1439-7641
pISSN - 1439-4235
DOI - 10.1002/cphc.201301076
Subject(s) - dye sensitized solar cell , scanning electrochemical microscopy , triiodide , photochemistry , electrolyte , iodide , ruthenium , electrochemistry , kinetics , chemistry , materials science , electrode , inorganic chemistry , organic chemistry , catalysis , physics , quantum mechanics
Sensitizers are responsible for the light harvesting and the charge injection in dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). A fast dye‐regeneration process is necessary to obtain highly efficient DSSC devices. Herein, dye‐regeneration rates of two DSSC device types, that is, the reduction of immediately formed photo‐oxidized sensitizers (ruthenium complex C106TBA and porphyrin LD14, k ox ′) by iodide ions (I − ) and [Co(bpy) 3 ] 2+ , and the oxidation of formed photo‐reduced sensitizers (organic dye P1, k re ′) by triiodide ions (I 3 − ) and the disulfide dimer (T 2 ) are investigated by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). We provide a thorough experimental verification of the feedback mode to compare the kinetics for dye‐regeneration by using the above mentioned mediators. The charge recombination at the dye/semiconductor/electrolyte interface is further investigated by SECM. A theoretical model is applied to interpret the current response at the tip under short‐circuit conditions, providing important information on factors that govern the dynamics of dye‐regeneration onto the dye‐sensitized heterojunction.