High-Performance Quasi-Solid-State Polymer Electrolytes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Applications

The large utilization of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gases, which are triggering environmental problems such as acid rain, air pollution, and global warming, has influenced the world to focus on a number of renewable energy sources for the future. A dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) using conventional ruthenium complex and zinc porphyrin dyes have obtained energy conversion efficiencies of 12% and 13%, respectively. The solvent of DSSC electrolyte, often called the plasticizer, offers the space and medium for ionic salt movement. The DSSCs are assembled using fluorine-doped tin oxide as the conductive substrate for the photoelectrode and counter electrode after a thorough cleaning. DSSCs are promising photovoltaic devices owing to their low fabrication cost, easy preparation procedures, and high energy conversion efficiency. The DSSCs based on nanocomposite electrolytes have higher levels of efficiency and long-term stability in comparison to their corresponding liquid-state DSSCs because of their promising physical, electrochemical, and thermal properties.