Analysis of charge transport properties of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) with TiO2 working electrode by employing electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)

Deepak Kumar, Kanak Pal Singh Parmar, Piyush Kuchhal

Abstract


In this paper DSSCs of various electrode thicknesses (L = 3 ?m?12 ?m) are assembled using N719 dye, an
iodide (I????)/triiodide (I????
????) redoxliquid electrolyte and TiO2 (P-25) working electrode (WE). The theoretically modeled
equations defining various bulk and interface impedances are incorporated with EIS spectrum analyzer software to fit
the simulated EIS curves with experimentally measured EIS curves to evaluate the charger transfer and recombination
properties of the assembled DSSCs. EIS fitting parameters investigated to study the impact of WE thickness on the
charge transport properties of assembled DSSC. It is observed that the charger transfer resistance at TiO2/electrolyte
interface (Rk) and series resistance (Rs) are reduced from 8 ?cm2 ? 4.05 ?cm2and 14.5 ?cm2?10.06 ?cm2
respectively which shows consistency with improvement in electron life time (?e) from 5.8 ms ?12.4 ms for increasing
WE thickness, L = 3 ?m?12 ?m. The combined impact of significant reduction in Rk and Rs along with improved
trend of ?e can be considered as major factors for efficient electron injection across Dye/TiO2 interface hence increases
short circuit current (Isc) from 1.485 mA ? 2.365 mA and photovoltaic conversion efficiency (?) from 3.55 % ? 5.46
% for L = 3 ?m?12 ?m, respectively. Moreover, a remarkable increment in ? (~45%), ?e (~56.3%) and a noticeable
reduction in Rk(~38.75 %), Rs (~23.8 %) are observed for WE variations (L = 3 ?m?6?m) and further shows
insignificant change for thicker WE (L> 6?m)

Keywords


efficiency; EIS spectrum analyzer; P-25; Simulations, Dye solar cell; Nyquist plot; Bode plot: electron life time

Full Text:

PDF

References


B. O'Regan and M. Grätzel, “A low-cost, high-efficiency

solar cell based on dye-sensitizedcolloidal TiO2 films, ”

Nature, vol. 353, no. 6346, pp. 737–740, 1991.

. A. Kay and M. Grätzel. Low cost photovoltaic modules

based on dye sensitized nanocrystalline titanium dioxide and

carbon powder. Sol.Energy Mater, Sol. Cells. 1996; 44: 99 117

. G. Smestad, C. Bignozzi, and R. Argazzi. Testing of dye

sensitized TiO2 solar cells I: Experimental photocurrent output

and conversion efficiencies. Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. Cells .

; 32: 259-272

. J. Gong, K. Sumathy, Z. Zhou, and Q. Qiao. Modeling of

interfacial and bulk charge transfer in dye-sensitized solar

cells. Cogent Eng. 2017;4

. Kay A, Grätzel M. Low cost photovoltaic modules based

on dye sensitized nanocrystalline titanium dioxide and carbon

powder. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells. 1996 Oct

;44(1):99-117.

. Smestad G, Bignozzi C, Argazzi R. Testing of dye

sensitized TiO2 solar cells I: Experimental photocurrent output

and conversion efficiencies. Solar energy materials and solar

cells. 1994 Mar 1;32(3):259-72.

. D. Kumar, A. Bist, P. Dua, P. Kuchhal, G. Anand, K.P.S.

Parmar. Facile one-pot hydrothermal synthesis of nanorice-like

TiO2 for an efficient dyesensitized solar cell (DSSC).

Nanotechnology Perceptions 15 (2019). Collegium Basilea

. Chou CS, Hsiung CM, Wang CP, Yang RY, Guo MG.

Preparation of a counter electrode with Ptype NiO and its

applications in dye-sensitized solar cell. International Journal

of Photoenergy. 2010;2010

. Gong J, Sumathy K, Zhou Z, Qiao Q. Modeling of

interfacial and bulk charge transfer in dyesensitized solar cells.

Cogent Engineering. 2017 Jan 1;4(1):1287231.

. Thavasi VR, Renugopalakrishnan V, Jose R,

Ramakrishna S. Controlled electron injection and

transport at materials interfaces in dye sensitized solar cells.

Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports. 2009 Jan

;63(3):81-99.

. Grätzel M. Conversion of sunlight to electric power by

nanocrystalline dye-sensitized solar cells. Journal of

Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry. 2004 Jun

;164(1-3):3-14.

. Tripathi B, Yadav P, Kumar M. Charge transfer and

recombination kinetics in dye-sensitized solar cell using static

B. A. Lasia, “Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

and its applications,” in Modern Aspects of Electrochemistry,

B. E. Conway, J.O.M. Bockris, and R.White, Eds., pp. 143–

, Springer, New York, NY, USA, 2002.

J. Bisquert and F. Fabreagat-Santiago, “Impedance

spectroscopy: a general introduction and application to dyesensitized

solar cells,” in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, K.

Kalyanasundaram, Ed., p. 457, CRC; Taylor & Francis, Boca

Raton, Fla, USA, 2010.

J. R. Macdonald, “Impedance spectroscopy,” Annals of

Biomedical Engineering, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 289–305, 1992.

J. R. Macdonald and W. B. Johnson, Impedance

Spectroscopy, JohnWiley & Sons, New York, NY,USA, 2005.

F. Fabregat-Santiago, J. Bisquert, E. Palomares et al.,

“Correlation between photovoltaic performance and impedance

spectroscopy of dye-sensitized solar cells based on ionic

liquids,”The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, vol. 111, no. 17,

pp. 6550–6560, 2007.

S. Sarker, H. W. Seo, and D. M. Kim, “Calculating current

density-voltage curves of dye-sensitized solar cells: a

straightforward approach,” Journal of Power Sources, vol. 248,

pp. 739– 744, 2014.

E. M. Barea, C. Zafer, B. Gultekin et al., “Quantification

of the effects of recombination and injection in the

performance of dye-sensitized solar cells based on Nsubstituted

carbazole dyes,” Journal of Physical ChemistryC,

vol. 114, no.46, pp. 19840– 19848, 2010.

F. Fabregat-Santiago, H. Randriamahazaka, A. Zaban, J.

Garcia- Canadas, G. Garcia-Belmonte, and J. Bisquert,

“Chemical capacitance of nanoporous-nanocrystalline TiO2 in

a room temperature ionic liquid,” Physical Chemistry Chemical

Physics, vol. 8, no. 15, pp. 1827–1833, 2006

F. Fabregat-Santiago, G. Garcia-Belmonte, J. Bisquert,A.

Zaban, and P. Salvador, “Decoupling of transport, charge

storage, and interfacial charge transfer in the nanocrystalline

TiO2/ electrolyte system by impedance methods,” The Journal

of Physical Chemistry B, vol. 106, no. 2, pp. 334–339, 2002.

J. Halme, P. Vahermaa, K. Miettunen, and P. Lund,

“Device physics of dye solar cells,” Advanced Materials, vol.

, no. 35, pp. E210–E234, 2010.

F. Fabregat-Santiago, J. Bisquert, G. Garcia-Belmonte, G.

Boschloo, and A. Hagfeldt, “Influence of electrolyte in

transport and recombination in dye-sensitized solar cells

studied by impedance spectroscopy,” Solar Energy Materials

and Solar Cells, vol. 87, no. 1–4, pp. 117–131, 2005.

M. Adachi,M. Sakamoto, J. Jiu, Y. Ogata, and S. Isoda,

“Determination of parameters of electron transport in dyesensitized

solar cells using electrochemical impedance

spectroscopy,” The Journal of Physical ChemistryB, vol. 110,

no. 28, pp. 13872–13880, 2006

R.Kern, R. Sastrawan, J. Ferber,R. Stangl, andJ.Luther,

“Modeling and interpretation of electrical impedance spectra of

dye solar cells operated under open-circuit conditions,”

Electrochimica Acta, vol. 47, no. 26, pp. 4213–4225, 2002.

Q.Wang, J.-E.Moser, and M. Gr¨atzel, “Electrochemical

impedance spectroscopic analysis of dye-sensitized solar

cells,” Journal of Physical Chemistry B, vol. 109, no. 31, pp.

14953, 2005.

A. Hauch and A. Georg, “Diffusion in the electrolyte and

charge-transfer reaction at the platinum electrode in

dyesensitized solar cells,” Electrochimica Acta, vol. 46, no. 22,

pp.3457–3466, 2001

L.Han,N.Koide, Y. Chiba, A. Islam, andT.Mitate,

“Modelingof an equivalent circuit for dye-sensitized solar

cells: improvement of efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells

by reducing internal resistance,”Comptes Rendus Chimie, vol.

, no. 5-6, pp. 645–651,2006.

S. R. Raga and F. Fabregat-Santiago, “Temperature effects

in dye-sensitized solar cells,” Physical Chemistry Chemical

Physics, vol. 15, no. 7, pp. 2328–2336, 2013.

J. Bisquert, “Theory of the impedance of electron

diffusion and recombination in a thin layer,”The Journal of

Physical Chemistry B, vol. 106, no. 2, pp. 325–333, 2002.

J. Bisquert, G. Garcia-Belmonte, F. Fabregat-Santiago,

and A. Compte, “Anomalous transport effects in the impedance

of porous film electrodes,” Electrochemistry Communications,

vol. 1, no. 9, pp. 429–435, 1999

J. Bisquert, G. Garcia-Belmonte, F. Fabregat-Santiago, N.

S. Ferriols, P. Bogdanoff, and E. C. Pereira, “Doubling

exponent models for the analysis of porous film electrodes by

impedance. Relaxation of TiO2 nanoporous in aqueous

solution,” Journal of Physical Chemistry B, vol. 104, no. 10,

pp. 2287–2298, 2000.

S. Sarker, H. W. Seo, and D. M. Kim, “Electrochemical

impedance spectroscopy of dye-sensitized solar cells with

thermally degraded N719 loaded TiO2,” Chemical Physics

Letters, vol. 585, pp. 193–197, 2013.

and dynamic electrical characterization techniques. Solar

Energy. 2014 Oct 1;108:107-16.

. Parmar KP, Ramasamy E, Lee J, Lee JS. Rapid (~10 min)

synthesis of single-crystalline, nanorice TiO2 mesoparticles

with a high photovoltaic efficiency of above 8%. Chemical

Communications. 2011;47(30):8572-4.

Kumar D, Parmar KP, Kuchhal P. Optimizing

Photovoltaic Efficiency of a Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC)

by a Combined (Modelling-Simulation and Experimental)

Study. International Journal of Renewable Energy Research

(IJRER). 2020 Mar 25;10(1):165-74.




DOI (PDF): https://doi.org/10.20508/ijrer.v11i1.11702.g8126

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Online ISSN: 1309-0127

Publisher: Gazi University

IJRER is cited in SCOPUS, EBSCO, WEB of SCIENCE (Clarivate Analytics);

IJRER has been cited in Emerging Sources Citation Index from 2016 in web of science.

WEB of SCIENCE in 2025; 

h=35,

Average citation per item=6.59

Last three Years Impact Factor=(1947+1753+1586)/(146+201+78)=5286/425=12.43

Category Quartile:Q4