Conductive polymers in dye-sensitized solar cells

ORGN 656

Carl C. Wamser, WamserC@pdx.edu, Hooi-Sung Kim, and Michael G. Walter. Department of Chemistry, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207-0751
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) have been developed using porphyrin sensitization and conductive polymers as hole transport mediators. In one type of study, the photosensitizer was a tricarboxymonoamino porphyrin derivative (TC3APP), and the usual redox electrolyte solution of a standard Grätzel cell was replaced with a solution of aniline, camphorsulfonic acid, lithium perchlorate, and polyethylene glycol. Irradiation led to a photocurrent that ultimately leveled off with an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.33 V, a short-circuit current (Jsc) of 0.16 mA/cm2, a fill factor (ff) of 0.6, and an overall energy conversion efficiency of 0.8 %. We interpret this as a photoelectropolymerization of aniline, generating conductive polyaniline that serves as the hole transport system in the cell. In a second type of study, we have electrochemically polymerized tetraaminophenylporphyrin (TAPP), which is formed as a conductive polymer with high surface area. We are treating this material with carboxyporphyrin followed by TiO2 precursors, effectively generating an inverse Grätzel cell.
 

Materials, Devices, and Switches
1:00 PM-5:00 PM, Thursday, 30 March 2006 Georgia World Congress Center -- Georgia Ballroom 2, Oral

Division of Organic Chemistry

The 231st ACS National Meeting, Atlanta, GA, March 26-30, 2006