We report on the simple preparation of the water-based TiO2 paste enabling temperature curing ≤ 250 ºC or oxygen plasma treatment. The paste is based on commercial TiO2 nanopowder (Degussa, P25) and sol–gel matrix achieved by mixing Ti(OiPr)4 and H2O2 forming a complexing gel called peroxotitanic acid (PTA). The PTA matrix in the paste converts to anatase TiO2 crystallites and attaches to the basic TiO2 nanoparticles P25 upon annealing process or oxygen plasma treatment. The results confirm that the PTA matrix transformation occurs around 250 ºC, but in the presence of TiO2 nanoparticles P25 i.e. in the paste the crystallization of the PTA matrix starts already at 120 ºC. The results indicate that oxygen plasma treatment of TiO2 layers could efficiently replace temperature curing and avoid time-consuming process. Within this study the DSSCs with the efficiency up to 4.2 % were realized.
COBISS.SI-ID: 10099796
A simple manufacturing process based on screen-printing is crucial for a successful commercialization of dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSCs). We developed the sol–gel based TiO2 paste in such a way that solely a single step deposition is sufficient to realize a sponge-like structure of the layer assuring its high activity in DSSCs. For the first time the sol–gel based TiO2 paste was screen printed and tested in DSSC masterplates and PV mini-modules. Electroluminescence imaging of the mini-module proved layer homogeneity and no manufacturing defects. The conversion efficiency of the PV mini-module with the active area of 75 cm2 reaches 5.7% at STC.
COBISS.SI-ID: 9649236
In this book chapter the structure and the fundamental operation of the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) are presented. The properties and requirements for each individual component used in a DSSC are given. The emphasis is given to the preparation of the TiO2 layers for glass-based as well as the flexible/plastic DSSCs. In addition also advanced hybrid DSSC systems are presented. In overall, the emphasis of the chapter is given to the involvement of sol-gel chemistry in the preparation of the individual DSSCs components, primarily of TiO2 layers and electrolytes.
COBISS.SI-ID: 9022804
Low-temperature methods for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) fabrication offer many advantages over the conventional high-temperature methods; plastic substrates could be used for roll-to-roll manufacturing of the light-weight and flexible devices. Moreover, low-temperature processing techniques open a wider range of applications for DSSCs. Within this paper the low-temperature treatment of TiO2 paste based on peroxotitanic acid (PTA) has been studied and described. The printed TiO2 layers have been treated at temperatures from 25 °C to 250 °C and different time intervals. The efficiency of the PTA-TiO2 layers, exposed to different post-deposition treatments has been evaluated on either glass or polymer substrate based DSSCs. The results indicate that low-temperature treating of PTA-TiO2 paste leads to the TiO2 layers with good adhesion to the glass as well as to the polymer substrates. The DSSCs assembled with PTA-TiO2 pastes achieved the efficiency up to 5.6%.
COBISS.SI-ID: 10098260
Spatial characterization techniques are applied to dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). A comparison between transmittance imaging (TI), light-beam-induced-current (LBIC) scan and electroluminescence imaging is carried out. EL has been used for characterization of DSSCs, showing that EL imaging is a proper method to follow the evolution of the inhomogeneities present in the electrolyte or TiO2 layer.
COBISS.SI-ID: 9546068