Efficiency of 10 % for quasi-solid state dye-sensitized solar cells under low light irradiance

Polyacrylonitrile-based gel electrolytes were prepared using tetrapropylammonium iodide salt for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The optimized gel electrolyte exhibited an ionic conductivity of 2.6 mS cm(-1) at 25 A degrees C and the DSSC fabricated with this gel electrolyte showed open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current density, fill factor, and efficiency of 0.71 V, 11.8 mA, 51, and 4.2 %, respectively, under one sun irradiation. The efficiency of the cell increases increased with decreasing solar irradiance achieving 10 % efficiency and 80 % fill factor at 3 mW cm(-2) a low irradiance value of 3 mW cm(-2). Lower efficiencies at higher intensities were attributed to transport limitation of the redox mediators at high irradiation intensities. This work suggests that quasi-solid state DSSCs can reach efficiencies close to that of liquid electrolyte-based cells at low irradiance levels. The results open up new vistas on efficiency improvement in DSSCs by optical manipulation and control of DSSCs.