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Dye-sensitized solar cell; heat; ageing; thermal analysis; zeta potential; cryo-field emission gun-scanning electron microscope.

Quasi-solid electrolytes based on silica nanopowder are well known in literature and these electrolytes are able to match in performance with that of liquid electrolytes. However, contrasting results are observed in literatureregarding stability of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with most of the reported articles projecting silica-loaded quasisolid electrolyte-based cells as a stable alternative to liquid electrolyte-based cells, while a few others contradicting thesame. The present study demonstrates the effect of ageing under heat (60$^{\circ}$C) and illumination on the performance of liquid electrolyte and silica-loaded electrolyte-based DSSCs. It has been observed that DSSC based on silica-loaded electrolyte are less stable than DSSC based on liquid electrolyte even though independent study on both electrolytes by thermal analysis shows silica-loaded electrolyte to be more stable than liquid electrolyte. Segregation of silica in electrolyte has been confirmed through cryo-field emission gun-scanning electron microscopy. Zeta potential measurements show that ions are desorbed from the surface of silica on ageing under heat and illumination.

SHYAMA PRASAD MOHANTY¹ PARAG BHARGAVA²

1. Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology: Institute of Plastics Technology, B-25, C.N.I. Complex, Patia, Bhubaneswar 751024, India
2. Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India

Published

29 October 2020

Manuscript received

23 March 2020

Accepted

16 June 2020

Final version published online

29 October 2020