Implication of Blocking Layer Functioning with the Effect of Temperature in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Renewable Energy
• Photovoltaics

Background:

• Thin titanium dioxide blocking layers on TCO are crucial for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs).
• Their performance is known to be intensity-dependent, but temperature effects require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the functioning of titanium dioxide blocking layers in DSCs under varying temperatures.
• To analyze the impact of temperature on electron recombination and cell performance.

Main Methods:

• Studied electron recombination, photovoltage response, and photocurrent-voltage properties of DSCs with and without blocking layers.
• Evaluated device performance at different temperatures.

Main Results:

• Electron recombination via TCO increases with temperature.
• Blocking layers are temperature-dependent, with compact layers effectively reducing electron loss at high temperatures.
• Devices with blocking layers maintained performance, while those without showed over 10% performance decrease at high temperatures.

Conclusions:

• Titanium dioxide blocking layers are essential for maintaining DSC performance across a broad temperature range.
• The band bending provided by compact blocking layers mitigates performance falloff at elevated temperatures.