Issue 3, 2012

Tetrathiafulvalene as a one-electron iodine-free organic redox mediator in electrolytes for dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

Tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) was investigated as an organic iodine-free redox mediator in electrolytes for dye-sensitized, nanocrystalline solar cells (DSCs) and was compared to the commonly used iodide/triiodide system. The TTF system studied was determined to be a one-electron transfer system, although potentially exhibiting three well-defined oxidation states. Despite the slightly positive redox potential of TTF, electrolytes with TTF displayed around 200 mV lower open-circuit voltage than the iodide/triiodide system. This can mainly be ascribed to a much shorter electron lifetime in the TiO2 film. Mass transport limitations for redox species in TTF-based electrolytes were found to be serious. Electrochemical impedance measurements (EIS) show that the charge-transfer resistance at the counter electrode in the electrolyte with TTF is considerably larger than for the iodide/triiodide system. In addition, the light absorption of the TTF-based electrolyte is stronger than that for the iodide/triiodide system. Thus, DSCs with TTF-based electrolytes show worse photovoltaic performance than those with iodide/triiodide-based electrolytes. The differences in IV characteristics and charge-recombination behavior have also been elucidated.

Graphical abstract: Tetrathiafulvalene as a one-electron iodine-free organic redox mediator in electrolytes for dye-sensitized solar cells

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
12 Oct 2011
Accepted
13 Oct 2011
First published
05 Dec 2011

RSC Adv., 2012,2, 1083-1087

Tetrathiafulvalene as a one-electron iodine-free organic redox mediator in electrolytes for dye-sensitized solar cells

Z. Yu, H. Tian, E. Gabrielsson, G. Boschloo, M. Gorlov, L. Sun and L. Kloo, RSC Adv., 2012, 2, 1083 DOI: 10.1039/C1RA00877C

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements