The effect of co-sensitization methods between N719 and boron dipyrromethene triads on dye-sensitized solar cell performance

Sompit Wanwong; Weradesh Sangkhun; Jatuphorn Wootthikanokkhan

doi:10.1039/c8ra00862k

The effect of co-sensitization methods between N719 and boron dipyrromethene triads on dye-sensitized solar cell performance

RSC Adv. 2018 Mar 2;8(17):9202-9210. doi: 10.1039/c8ra00862k. eCollection 2018 Feb 28.

Authors

Sompit Wanwong^{1

2}, Weradesh Sangkhun¹, Jatuphorn Wootthikanokkhan^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Materials Technology, School of Energy, Environment and Materials, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi Bangkok 10140 Thailand sompit.wan@kmutt.ac.th.
² Nanotec-KMUTT Center of Excellence on Hybrid Nanomaterials for Alternative Energy, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi Bangkok 10140 Thailand.

Abstract

A boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) featuring triphenylamine triad, BD, has been synthesized as a co-sensitizer in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The optical and electrochemical properties of BD have been characterized using UV-vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. DSCs containing co-sensitizers, N719 and BD, have been prepared in two procedures using co-deposition and stepwise deposition. The influences of the staining processes, co-deposition and stepwise deposition on dye loading, dye dispersion on a TiO₂ photoanode and DSC performance have been investigated using FTIR, SEM-EDS, I-V test and IPCE measurement, respectively. We found that stepwise co-sensitization provided higher solar cell efficiency, compared to those stained with a co-deposition method. N719/5% BD showed the highest power conversion efficiency of 5.14%. Interestingly, the enhanced device efficiency was 66% higher than that of a device containing the single N719 dye.