Aqueous dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are emerging as the first truly safe, cheap and eco-friendly photovoltaic technology, at the same time overcoming the well-known instability upon moisture/water contamination typical of many solar cells. While many aqueous DSSCs recently proposed still contain little amounts of organic solvents or petroleum-derived polymeric matrices, here we propose the first 100% hydrogel electrolyte, consisting of carboxymethylcellulose as a green jellifying agent, water and iodide/triiodide redox mediator. Electrochemical and photoelectrochemical properties of the resulting electrolytes and solar cells are thoroughly investigated, with a special focus on the long-term stability of the aqueous devices under different operating and aging conditions. The obtained promising efficiencies and stabilities, combined with a metal-free sensitizer, lead here to sustainable, stable, transparent and building-integrable solar cells, without suffering from any safety and/or toxicity issues.

Approaching truly sustainable solar cells by the use of water and cellulose derivatives / Bella, Federico; Galliano, S.; Falco, Marisa; Viscardi, G.; Barolo, C.; Grätzel, M.; Gerbaldi, Claudio. - In: GREEN CHEMISTRY. - ISSN 1463-9262. - ELETTRONICO. - 19:(2017), pp. 1043-1051. [10.1039/C6GC02625G]

Approaching truly sustainable solar cells by the use of water and cellulose derivatives

BELLA, FEDERICO;FALCO, MARISA;GERBALDI, CLAUDIO
2017

Abstract

Aqueous dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are emerging as the first truly safe, cheap and eco-friendly photovoltaic technology, at the same time overcoming the well-known instability upon moisture/water contamination typical of many solar cells. While many aqueous DSSCs recently proposed still contain little amounts of organic solvents or petroleum-derived polymeric matrices, here we propose the first 100% hydrogel electrolyte, consisting of carboxymethylcellulose as a green jellifying agent, water and iodide/triiodide redox mediator. Electrochemical and photoelectrochemical properties of the resulting electrolytes and solar cells are thoroughly investigated, with a special focus on the long-term stability of the aqueous devices under different operating and aging conditions. The obtained promising efficiencies and stabilities, combined with a metal-free sensitizer, lead here to sustainable, stable, transparent and building-integrable solar cells, without suffering from any safety and/or toxicity issues.
2017
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11583/2667946
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