Showing papers by "Aleksandra Drygała published in 2017"

Carbon Nanomaterials Application as a Counter Electrode for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Abstract: The paper presents the results of the structure investigation of a counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells using the carbon nanomaterials. Solar cells were fabricated on the glass with transparent conductive oxide TCO (10Ω/sq). Nanocrystalline titania based photoanode was prepared by spreading TiO2 paste onto TCO glass and subsequently annealed at 450°C for at least 30 min to convert anatase phase and make an interparticle network. After then the nanostructured titania films was immersed into an ethanolic solution of the ruthenium-based dye. As a counter electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells composite films of carbon nanomaterials and polystyrene sulfonate doped poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) PEDOT-PSS (Sigma-Aldrich) were deposited onto TCO substrates. Because carbon nanoelements and titanium oxide consist of nano-metric structural units to determine the properties of the cells and their parameters several surface sensitive techniques and methods, i.e. Raman spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), and electric properties of conductive layers were used.

A carbon-nanotubes counter electrode for flexible dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract: Aleksandra Dryga3a1, Leszek Adam Dobrzañski1, Marzena Prokopiuk vel Prokopowicz1, Marek Szindler1, Krzysztof Lukaszkowicz1, Marian Domañski2 1Institute of Engineering Materials and Biomaterials, Silesian University of Technology, Konarskiego St. 18a, 44-100, Gliwice, Poland 2Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials, Polish Academy of Sciences, M.Curie-Sk3odowskiej St. 34, 41-819, Zabrze, Poland aleksandra.drygala@polsl.pl

Photoanode of dye-sensitized solar cells based on titanium dioxide with reduced graphene oxide

Abstract: Dye-sensitized solar cells are one of the most promising new generation of photovoltaic cells due to their low cost, easy fabrication and high energy conversion. One of the key components is photoanode that supports dye molecules and helps in the electron transfer. Titanium dioxide film used as a photoanode should have nanocrystalline structure, mesoporous nature and be semi-transparent. A thin semiconductor layer consist of nanocrystalline grains, therefore, DSSCs are also called nanocrystalline solar cells. Transparency is also an important issue of photovoltaic cells, especially when used in building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) on glass and metal substrates. Moreover, the transparency allows their use in tandem cells. The paper presents the results of the structure investigation of a photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cells using the titanium dioxide. Solar cells were fabricated on the glass with TCO. The titanium dioxide films were deposited on TCO glass by screen printing method. Then the TiO 2 electrode was immersed in N3 dye. Scanning Electron Microscopy images of titania films on substrates were observed. Light transmittance and absorbance of titania films with and without dye on TCO glass were measured by using a UV-Visible spectrophotometer. X-ray diffraction was employed to characterize the structures of photoelectrodes.