Solid state p-type dye-sensitized solar cells: concept, experiment and mechanism.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Photovoltaics
• Organic Electronics

Background:

• Development of efficient and stable solar cells is crucial for renewable energy.
• Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) offer a promising photovoltaic technology.
• Exploration of p-type materials is essential for advancing solar cell architectures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and fabricate solid-state p-type dye-sensitized solar cells (p-ssDSCs) for the first time.
• To investigate the performance and charge transfer dynamics in these novel devices.
• To utilize organic dye P1 as a sensitizer in a p-type solar cell configuration.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of solid-state p-type dye-sensitized solar cells using mesoporous NiO as the semiconductor and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as the electron conductor.
• Employing the organic dye P1 as the sensitizer.
• Utilizing femtosecond and nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy to study charge carrier dynamics.

Main Results:

• Successful fabrication of the first solid-state p-type dye-sensitized solar cells (p-ssDSCs).
• Achieved an impressive open-circuit photovoltage (Voc) of 620 mV.
• Spectroscopic evidence confirmed rapid hole injection from excited P1 to NiO (sub-picosecond timescale) and subsequent electron transfer from P1 radical anion to PCBM.

Conclusions:

• Solid-state p-type dye-sensitized solar cells are feasible and demonstrate promising photovoltaic performance.
• The combination of dye P1, NiO, and PCBM facilitates efficient charge separation and transport.
• This work opens new avenues for developing efficient p-type solar cell technologies.