Issue 33, 2013

Effect of the molecular weight of poly(3-hexylthiophene) on the performance of solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

Conductive polymers have become one of the most promising alternatives to liquid electrolytes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) in order to avoid solvent evaporation and leakage problems. Herein the performance of solid-state DSCs based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) of different molecular weights (MWs) as a hole transport material has been investigated. The DSC devices using the heteroleptic Ru complex Z907Na as a sensitizer in combination with P3HT of MW 30 kDa reach power conversion efficiencies of 1.0%. The mechanism of the photocurrent generation and the role of P3HT in the solid-state DSC devices has been discussed, showing that there is a non-uniform filtration of P3HT with a high MW into the TiO2 mesoporous film, and thus resulting in an acceleration of the charge recombination close to the TiO2/Z907Na/P3HT heterojunction interface.

Graphical abstract: Effect of the molecular weight of poly(3-hexylthiophene) on the performance of solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
21 Mar 2013
Accepted
09 May 2013
First published
10 May 2013

RSC Adv., 2013,3, 14037-14043

Effect of the molecular weight of poly(3-hexylthiophene) on the performance of solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

Y. Zhang, K. Cao, X. Zhu, X. Li, X. Qiao, G. Tu, B. Zhang, D. Huang, Y. Shen and M. Wang, RSC Adv., 2013, 3, 14037 DOI: 10.1039/C3RA41384E

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