Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Combining ZnO Nanotip Arrays and Nonliquid Gel Electrolytes

We present a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) using a nanostructured ZnO photoelectrode and a gel electrolyte. The photoelectrode consists of well-aligned ZnO nanotips on a Ga-doped ZnO (GZO) transparent conducting film. The GZO film (400 nm, sheet resistance similar to 25 Omega/sq, transmittance over 85% in the visible wavelength) and ZnO nanotips (3.2 mu m length) are sequentially grown on a glass substrate using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. The ZnO photoelectrode is sensitized with dye N719 and impregnated with N-methyl pyrolidinone (NMP) gelled with poly(vinyl-difluoroethylene-hexafluoropropylene) copolymer (PVDF-HFP). The cell exhibits an open-circuit voltage of 726 mV and a power conversion efficiency of 0.89% under one sun illumination. The aging testing shows that the cell using a gel electrolyte has better stability than its liquid electrolyte counterpart.