Open AccessDye-sensitized Solar Cells Employing a SnO2-TiO2 Core-shell Structure Made by Atomic Layer Deposition
Author(s) -
Martin Karlsson,
Indrek Jõgi,
Stefan Eriksson,
Haåkan Rensmo,
Mats Boman,
Gerrit Boschloo,
Anders Hagfeldt
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
chimia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.387
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 2673-2424
pISSN - 0009-4293
DOI - 10.2533/chimia.2013.142
Subject(s) - materials science , atomic layer deposition , shell (structure) , layer (electronics) , deposition (geology) , core (optical fiber) , solar cell , dye sensitized solar cell , electrolyte , chemical engineering , open circuit voltage , nanotechnology , optoelectronics , chemistry , composite material , voltage , paleontology , physics , electrode , quantum mechanics , sediment , engineering , biology
This paper describes the synthesis and characterization of core-shell structures, based on SnO2 and TiO2, for use in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC). Atomic layer deposition is employed to control and vary the thickness of the TiO2 shell. Increasing the TiO2 shell thickness to 2 nm improved the device performance of liquid electrolyte-based DSC from 0.7% to 3.5%. The increase in efficiency originates from a higher open-circuit potential and a higher short-circuit current, as well as from an improvement in the electron lifetime. SnO2-TiO2 core-shell DSC devices retain their photovoltage in darkness for longer than 500 seconds, demonstrating that the electrons are contained in the core material. Finally core-shell structures were used for solid-state DSC applications using the hole transporting material 2,2',7,7',-tetrakis(N, N-di-p-methoxyphenyl-amine)-9,9',-spirofluorene. Similar improvements in device performance were obtained for solid-state DSC devices.