POSS with eight imidazolium iodide arms for efficient solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (ssDSSCs) offer a safer alternative to liquid electrolyte-based devices.
• Development of efficient and stable solid-state electrolytes remains a critical challenge for ssDSSCs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize a novel polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) based material functionalized with eight imidazolium iodide arms.
• To evaluate the performance of this new material as a solid-state electrolyte in ssDSSCs.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a POSS core functionalized with eight imidazolium iodide arms.
• Fabrication of ssDSSCs incorporating the synthesized POSS-based electrolyte.
• Characterization of photovoltaic performance under one sun illumination.

Main Results:

• The synthesized POSS-based material effectively functions as a solid-state electrolyte.
• The ssDSSCs achieved a notable power conversion efficiency of 7.11% under one sun illumination.
• The devices exhibited good long-term stability when subjected to continuous one sun soaking.

Conclusions:

• Functionalized POSS materials are promising candidates for solid-state electrolytes in ssDSSCs.
• The developed electrolyte contributes to improved efficiency and stability in solar cell technology.
• This research advances the development of next-generation, stable, and efficient solar energy harvesting devices.