Promoting charge-separation in p-type dye-sensitized solar cells using bodipy

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy
• Photovoltaics

Background:

• Nickel Oxide (NiO) is a promising material for p-type dye-sensitized solar cells (p-DSCs).
• Achieving long-lived charge-separated states in NiO-based devices is challenging.
• Boron-dipyrromethene (Bodipy) dyes offer tunable optoelectronic properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the viability of Bodipy sensitizers in NiO-based p-DSCs.
• To investigate the impact of a triphenylamine donor-Bodipy acceptor design on charge separation.
• To evaluate the photovoltaic performance of these novel p-DSCs.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of NiO-based p-DSCs using tailored Bodipy sensitizers.
• Characterization of the photophysical properties of the sensitizers.
• Measurement of photovoltaic parameters, including photocurrent and Incident Photon-to-Current Efficiency (IPCE).

Main Results:

• Successful application of Bodipy sensitizers in NiO-based p-DSCs.
• The triphenylamine donor-Bodipy acceptor design facilitated a long-lived charge-separated state.
• Achieved a photocurrent exceeding 3 mA cm⁻², with an IPCE of 28%.

Conclusions:

• Bodipy sensitizers are viable for NiO-based p-DSCs.
• The developed donor-acceptor architecture enhances charge separation efficiency.
• This work presents a significant step towards efficient NiO-based p-type solar cells.