Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Based on Polyaniline/Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Counter Electrode

Abstract

This work presented the successful fabrication of dye-sensitized solar cell using polyaniline base (EB), multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), organic dye (rhodamine B or riboflavin), zinc oxide (ZnO), and indium tin oxide (ITO). The electrical properties of the resultant devices were investigated by measuring the current density voltage (<svg style="vertical-align:-1.97925pt;width:7.8874998px;" id="M1" height="13.6375" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 7.8874998 13.6375" width="7.8874998" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.113)"><path id="x1D43D" d="M434 650l-5 -28q-60 -8 -75 -20.5t-25 -69.5l-71 -395q-20 -107 -57.5 -168t-106.5 -94q-40 -18 -61 -20l-10 32q77 23 113 108q21 50 41 160l68 377q10 57 -1.5 69.5t-76.5 20.5l6 28h261z" /></g> </svg>-<svg style="vertical-align:-0.1638pt;width:12.7375px;" id="M2" height="11.375" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 12.7375 11.375" width="12.7375" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.112)"><path id="x1D449" d="M730 650l-8 -28q-52 -4 -72 -18t-64 -77q-79 -113 -321 -539h-33l-119 541q-13 59 -29.5 73t-66.5 20l7 28h245l-8 -28l-28 -5q-33 -6 -40.5 -15.5t-0.5 -38.5l102 -450h2q191 320 246 430q21 42 15.5 56t-43.5 19l-31 4l7 28h240z" /></g> </svg>), capacitance voltage (<svg style="vertical-align:-0.23206pt;width:12.1125px;" id="M3" height="11.75" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 12.1125 11.75" width="12.1125" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.4)"><path id="x1D436" d="M682 629q-1 -16 -1.5 -72t-2.5 -86l-31 -4q-5 92 -51 129t-139 37q-100 0 -177 -49t-116 -125t-39 -162q0 -122 66 -201t182 -79q83 0 137 42.5t112 128.5l26 -15q-12 -31 -42.5 -88t-45.5 -75q-139 -27 -199 -27q-148 0 -243 81.5t-95 226.5q0 173 129.5 274.5&#xA;t325.5 101.5q114 0 204 -38z" /></g> </svg>-<svg style="vertical-align:-0.1638pt;width:12.7375px;" id="M4" height="11.375" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 12.7375 11.375" width="12.7375" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x1D449"/></g> </svg>), and impedance measurements under both dark and illuminated conditions. The photovoltaic cell characteristics, that is, open circuit voltage (<svg style="vertical-align:-3.39064pt;width:24.575001px;" id="M5" height="15.4" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 24.575001 15.4" width="24.575001" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x1D449"/></g> <g transform="matrix(.012,-0,0,-.012,12.675,15.187)"><path id="x6F" d="M257 449q92 0 154 -65t62 -158q0 -112 -67 -175t-150 -63q-98 0 -158.5 66.5t-60.5 154.5q0 59 21 106.5t54.5 75.5t71 43t73.5 15zM244 416q-48 0 -81 -47t-33 -128q0 -96 38 -158t99 -62q51 0 82 43.5t31 139.5q0 91 -36 151.5t-100 60.5z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.012,-0,0,-.012,18.85,15.187)"><path id="x63" d="M390 111l17 -21q-34 -45 -80 -73.5t-89 -28.5q-91 0 -146 62t-55 147q0 118 101 195q74 57 149 57h1q59 0 90 -27q16 -14 16 -30q0 -15 -12 -29t-21 -14q-8 0 -19 11q-44 41 -101 41q-52 0 -87.5 -42.5t-35.5 -117.5q0 -49 15 -87t39 -58t49 -30t48 -10q33 0 60.5 12&#xA;t60.5 43z" /></g> </svg>), short circuit current density (<svg style="vertical-align:-3.39064pt;width:18.012501px;" id="M6" height="15.4" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 18.012501 15.4" width="18.012501" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.112)"><use xlink:href="#x1D43D"/></g> <g transform="matrix(.012,-0,0,-.012,7.825,15.187)"><path id="x73" d="M319 325l-25 -7q-33 99 -103 99q-29 0 -47 -19.5t-18 -49.5t22 -49.5t62 -36.5q63 -26 95 -57t32 -79q0 -64 -50 -101t-115 -37q-35 0 -67.5 10.5t-46.5 23.5q-5 11 -11 51t-6 67l27 5q14 -53 46.5 -88.5t75.5 -35.5q29 0 50 19.5t21 50.5t-19.5 51.5t-59.5 39.5&#xA;q-28 12 -46 22.5t-38.5 27t-30.5 38.5t-10 49q0 54 42.5 92t109.5 38q48 0 88 -18q6 -15 13 -50.5t9 -55.5z" /></g><g transform="matrix(.012,-0,0,-.012,12.287,15.187)"><use xlink:href="#x63"/></g> </svg>), and energy conversion efficiency (<svg style="vertical-align:-3.56265pt;width:8.5249996px;" id="M7" height="12.175" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 8.5249996 12.175" width="8.5249996" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,7.675)"><path id="x1D702" d="M471 401q0 -32 -14 -91l-83 -376q-30 -146 -21 -180l-7 -15q-22 0 -47.5 23.5t-25.5 40.5q0 49 53 271l53 224q4 18 6.5 31t3.5 22.5t1 15t-2 9t-4.5 4.5t-6.5 1q-31 0 -100.5 -63.5t-126.5 -145.5q-16 -53 -40 -163q-48 -11 -74 -21l-7 8l82 341q9 36 -4 36&#xA;q-8 0 -28.5 -14t-38.5 -32l-17 22q41 43 85 71t66 28q23 0 23 -39q0 -19 -10 -64l-24 -103h2q77 101 201 182q37 24 74 24q31 0 31 -47z" /></g> </svg>), were evaluated under illumination and were found to be 0.48&#x2009;mA/cm<sup >2</sup>, 400&#x2009;mV, and 0.224&#x25;, respectively, for ITO/EB-MWCNTs/ZnO-rhodamine B/ITO heterostructure. Using impedance spectra, it was found that the series resistances of this type of solar cell are 62 and 60&#x2009;&#x3a9; under darkness and illumination, respectively.