Tripropyl Chitosan Iodide-Based Gel Polymer Electrolyte as Quasi Solid-State Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

Abstract:

Electrolyte as one of the major components in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) plays an important role in dye regeneration and as the inner charge carrier transport between electrodes. Gel polymer electrolyte is a potential alternative to liquid electrolytes which suffer of leakage and solvent evaporation. In this present research, functionalization of chitosan by the quaternization reaction of chitosan with iodopropane forming tripropyl chitosan iodide is proposed for the preparation of gel polymer electrolyte. Tripropyl chitosan iodide was characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Four different polymer electrolytes were tested at different compositions in presence of iodide/triiodide redox salt and imidazolium ionic liquid in DSSCs configurations. The results show that the gel polymer electrolyte containing the tripropyl chitosan iodide in presence of 1-propyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide ionic liquid showed better performance with power conversion efficiency of 0.415% as compared to the gel polymer electrolyte film without ionic liquid with power conversion efficiency of 0.075%. The results shown the synergistic effects of the polycationic tripropyl chitosan iodide with the ionic liquid 1-propyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide on the photovoltaic performance.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 997)
• Pages: 69-76
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.997.69
• Online since: June 2020
• Authors: Wan Zaireen Nisa Yahya*, Pang Zhen Hong, Wan Zul Zahran Wan Mohd Zain, Norani Muti Mohamed
• Keywords: Chitosan, Dye Sensitized Solar Cells, Gel Polymer Electrolyte, Ionic Liquid

References

[1] O'regan, B., & Grätzel, M. (1991). A low-cost, high-efficiency solar cell based on dye-sensitized colloidal TiO2 films. nature, 353(6346), 737.

DOI: 10.1038/353737a0

[2] Hagfeldt, A., Boschloo, G., Sun, L., Kloo, L., & Pettersson, H. (2010). Dye-sensitized solar cells. Chemical reviews, 110(11), 6595-6663.

DOI: 10.1021/cr900356p

[3] Wang, P., Zakeeruddin, S. M., Moser, J. E., & Grätzel, M. (2003). A new ionic liquid electrolyte enhances the conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 107(48), 13280-13285.

DOI: 10.1021/jp0355399

[4] Ye, M.D., Wen, X.R., Wang, M.Y., Locozzia, J., Zhang, N., Lin, C.J. & Lin, Z.Q. (2014). Recent advances in dye-sensitized solar cells: from photoanodes, sensitizers and electrolytes to counter electrodes. Materialstoday, 18(3),155-162.

DOI: 10.1016/j.mattod.2014.09.001

[5] Wang, P., Zakeeruddin, S. M., Moser, J. E., Humphry-Baker, R., & Grätzel, M. (2004). A solvent-free, SeCN-/(SeCN)3-based ionic liq-uid electrolyte for high-efficiency dye-sensitized nanocrystalline so-lar cells. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 126(23), 7164-7165.

DOI: 10.1021/ja048472r

[6] Su'ait, M. S., Rahman, M. Y. A., & Ahmad, A. (2015). Review on polymer electrolyte in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Solar En-ergy, 115, 452-470.

DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2015.02.043

[7] Wu, J., Lan, Z., Lin, J., Huang, M., Huang, Y., Fan, L., & Luo, G. (2015). Electrolytes in dye-sensitized solar cells. Chemical reviews, 115(5), 2136-2173.

DOI: 10.1021/cr400675m

[8] Shi, Y., Zhan, C., Wang, L., Ma, B., Gao, R., Zhu, Y., & Qiu, Y. (2009). The electrically conductive function of high-molecular weight poly (ethylene oxide) in polymer gel electrolytes used for dye-sensitized solar cells. Physical chemistry chemical physics, 11(21), 4230-4235.

DOI: 10.1039/b901003c

[9] Wu, J.H., Lan, Z., Hao, S.C., Li, P.J., Lin, J.M., Huang, M.L., Fang, L.Q. and Huang, Y.F. (2008). Progress on the electrolytes for dye-sensitized solar cells. Pure and Applied Chemistry. 80(11), 2241-2258.

DOI: 10.1351/pac200880112241

[10] Kadir, M.F.Z., Majid, S.R. & Arof, A.K. (2010). Plasticized chitosan–PVA blend polymer electrolyte based proton battery. Electro-chimica Acta. 55(4), 1475-1482.

DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2009.05.011

[11] Riva, R., Ragelle, H., Rieux, A.D., Duhem, N., Jerome, C. and Preat, V. (2011). Chitosan and chitosan derivatives in drug delivery and tissue engineering. Springer. 244, 19-14.

DOI: 10.1007/12_2011_137

[12] Xiong, Y.B., Wang, H., Wu, C.Y. & Wang, R.M. (2011). Preparation and characterization of conductive chitosan–ionic liquid composite membranes. Polymers for Advance Technologies. 23(11), 1429-1434.

DOI: 10.1002/pat.2061

[13] Mourya, V.K. & Inamdar, N. (2009). Trimethyl chitosan and its applications in drug delivery. Journal of Materials Science. 20:1057.

DOI: 10.1007/s10856-008-3659-z

[14] Sudhakar, Y.N. & Selvakumar, M. (2012). Lithium perchlorate doped plasticized chitosan and starch blend as biodegradable polymer electrolyte for supercapacitors. Electrochimica Acta. 78, 398-405.

DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2012.06.032

[15] Buraidah, M.H., Teo, L.P., Majid, S.R. & Arof, A.K. (2009). Ionic conductivity by correlated barrier hopping in NH4I doped chitosan solid electrolyte. Physical B: condensed Matter. 404(8-11), 1373-1379.

DOI: 10.1016/j.physb.2008.12.027

[16] Yahya, W.Z.N, Meng, W. T, Khatani, M., Samsudin, A., Mohamed, N.M. (2017). Bio-based chitosan/PVDF-HFP polymer blend for quasi-solid state electrolyte dye sensitized solar cells. e-polymers, 17(5), 355-361.

DOI: 10.1515/epoly-2016-0305

[17] Yusof, S. M. M., & Yahya, W. Z. N. (2016). Binary ionic liquid electrolyte for dye-sensitized solar cells. Procedia engineering, 148, 100-105.

DOI: 10.1016/j.proeng.2016.06.453