Coupling gold nanoparticles to Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells for an increased efficiency. (20th March 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Truta, Liliana A.A.N.A.; Pereira, Sónia; Hora, Carolina; Trindade, Tito; Sales, M. Goreti F.
• Is Part Of: Electrochimica acta. Volume 300(2019)
• Page Start: 102
• Page End: 112
• Publication Date: 2019-03-20
• Subjects: Gold nanoparticles -- Plasmonics -- Dye-sensitized solar cells -- Silica gels -- Titanium dioxide; Electrochemistry -- Periodicals; Electrochemistry, Industrial -- Periodicals; 541.37
• DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2019.01.050
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0013-4686

Abstract

Abstract: New approaches for coupling Au NPs to the photoanode of dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were proposed herein, aiming to improve the typical energy conversion efficiency of these cells. For this purpose, colloidal Au NPs with different particles sizes, ∼5 nm and ∼22 nm, were chemically synthesized and attached (i) directly to titanium dioxide (TiO2 ) or (ii) to TiO2 surface modified with siliceous shells enriched in dithiocarbamate moieties (SiO2 /SiDTC). Photoanodes composed by films of TiO2 anatase, TiO2 @Au NPs (∼5 nm and ∼22 nm), or TiO2 functionalized with SiO2 /SiDTC, loaded with colloidal Au NPs, were made. DSSCs were set-up in a typical sandwich configuration, using the photoanode, a Pt counter electrode, and an iodide electrolyte solution (I − /I3 − ). In general, a relevant contribution in the plasmonic DSSC performance was evidenced by using Au NPs of ∼22 nm loaded in different amounts 23.9 wt%, 31.0 wt% and 44.0 wt%. Photoanodes composed by 23.9% of Au yielded an increment of 14.40% in photocurrent and of 11.21% in the overall power conversion efficiency (PCE), when compared to the conventional one. In turn, the new strategy used in the chemical modification of the conventional photoanodes with dithiocarbamate groups showed also a significant improvement of the DSSC parameters.