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RESEARCH PRODUCT
Enhancement of photoconversion efficiency in dye-sensitized solar cells exploiting pulsed laser deposited niobium pentoxide blocking layers
Matteo GerosaMatteo GerosaMauro MoscaStefano BiancoAdriano SaccoCandido PirriCandido PirriAngelica ChiodoniRoberto MacalusoMaurizio Salvatore Di BellaClaudio Calisubject
Materials scienceOpen circuit voltage decaySubstrate (electronics)Dye-sensitized solar cellsSettore ING-INF/01 - ElettronicaPulsed laser depositionBlocking layer; Dye-sensitized solar cells; Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy; Niobium pentoxide; Open circuit voltage decay; Pulsed laser deposition; Electronic Optical and Magnetic Materials; Materials Chemistry; 2506; Metals and Alloys; 2506; Surfaces Coatings and Films; Surfaces and InterfacesCoatings and Filmschemistry.chemical_compoundElectronicMaterials ChemistryOptical and Magnetic MaterialsCrystalline siliconThin filmNiobium pentoxidepulsed laser depositionbusiness.industryOpen-circuit voltagePhotovoltaic systemMetals and AlloysSurfaces and InterfacesSurfaces Coatings and FilmsElectronic Optical and Magnetic MaterialsSurfacesDye-sensitized Solar CellDye-sensitized solar cellniobium pentoxidechemistryblocking layerOptoelectronics2506businessElectrochemical impedance spectroscopydescription
Abstract Among all the photovoltaic technologies developed so far, dye-sensitized solar cells are considered as a promising alternative to the expensive and environmentally unfriendly crystalline silicon-based solar cells. One of the possible strategies employed to increase their photovoltaic efficiency is to reduce the charge recombination at the cell conductive substrate through the use of a compact blocking layer. In this paper, we report on the fabrication and characterization of dye-sensitized solar cells employing niobium pentoxide (Nb 2 O 5 ) thin film blocking layer deposited through the pulsed laser deposition technique on conductive substrates. The careful selection of the optimal film thickness led to a 30% enhancement of the photoconversion efficiency with respect to reference cells fabricated without blocking layer. Open circuit voltage decay and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques proved that the effective suppression of the charge recombination occurring at the substrate/electrolyte interface represents the main reason for the improvement of the photovoltaic efficiency.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-01-01 | Thin Solid Films |