Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) have attracted a lot of interest for their abilities to convert solar light into elec-tricity at low cost. Recently, a chemometric Factorial Experimental Design approach was used for the determination of the uptake of D5 dye (Figure 1) on TiO2 surface (represented by the sphere in Figure 1), to obtain information about the correlations between the three variables governing the uptake itself, i.e. D5 concentration, disper-sant (cheno-deoxycholic acid, CDCA) concentration and contact time [1]. The obtained Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression model shows that large uptakes can be obtained, as expected, when CDCA is present if the con-tact time is high, but, surprisingly, in absence of CDCA if the contact time is small. This behaviour can be related to the effects of the intermolecular interactions. Exploiting the same chemometric approach, the preparation of the DSC device was studied and the correlation of the above described chemical parameters to DSC efficiencies, in term of I/V curve, is under development. Start-ing from the results obtained in first part of the work [1], some experiments were carried out with different electro-lytes. The efficiency and the stability of the cells were evaluated. D5 (1·10-4 M) and CDCA (8 mM) were loaded with a contact time of 16 h on nanocrystalline-TiO2 electrodes fabricated by screen printing technique. The result-ing electrodes were characterized for their thickness both by profilometry and spectrophotometric analyses in order to be able to correctly compare the dye uptakes and final cell efficiencies. It was possible obtaining highly transpar-ent DSC test devices in a reproducible way obtaining a medium efficiency of about 3,089±0,012 %.
Rationalization of dye soaking parameters in relation with DSC efficiency by a chemometric approach
GALLIANO, SIMONE;BAROLO, CLAUDIA;
2014-01-01
Abstract
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) have attracted a lot of interest for their abilities to convert solar light into elec-tricity at low cost. Recently, a chemometric Factorial Experimental Design approach was used for the determination of the uptake of D5 dye (Figure 1) on TiO2 surface (represented by the sphere in Figure 1), to obtain information about the correlations between the three variables governing the uptake itself, i.e. D5 concentration, disper-sant (cheno-deoxycholic acid, CDCA) concentration and contact time [1]. The obtained Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression model shows that large uptakes can be obtained, as expected, when CDCA is present if the con-tact time is high, but, surprisingly, in absence of CDCA if the contact time is small. This behaviour can be related to the effects of the intermolecular interactions. Exploiting the same chemometric approach, the preparation of the DSC device was studied and the correlation of the above described chemical parameters to DSC efficiencies, in term of I/V curve, is under development. Start-ing from the results obtained in first part of the work [1], some experiments were carried out with different electro-lytes. The efficiency and the stability of the cells were evaluated. D5 (1·10-4 M) and CDCA (8 mM) were loaded with a contact time of 16 h on nanocrystalline-TiO2 electrodes fabricated by screen printing technique. The result-ing electrodes were characterized for their thickness both by profilometry and spectrophotometric analyses in order to be able to correctly compare the dye uptakes and final cell efficiencies. It was possible obtaining highly transpar-ent DSC test devices in a reproducible way obtaining a medium efficiency of about 3,089±0,012 %.
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