• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.183-188
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• 2019

Flexible dye-sensitized solar cells using binder free $TiO_2$ paste for low temperature sintering are developed. In this paste a small amount of titanium gel is added to a paste of $TiO_2$ nanoparticle. Analysis of titanium gel paste prepared at $150^{\circ}C$ shows that it has a pure anatase phase in XRD and mesoporous structure in SEM. The formation of the titanium gel 1-2 nm coated layer is confirmed by comparing the TEM image analysis of the titanium gel paste and the pristine paste. This coating layer improves the excited electron transfer and electrical contact between particles. The J-V curves of the organic binder DSSCs fabricated at $150^{\circ}C$ shows a current density of $0.12mA/cm^2$ and an open-circuit voltage of 0.47 V, while the titanium gel DSSCs improves electrical characteristics to $5.04mA/cm^2$ and 0.74 V. As a result, the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the organic binder DSSC prepared at low temperature is as low as 0.02 %, but the titanium gel paste DSSCs has a measured effciency of 2.76 %.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.453-461
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• 2022

A chemically sintered and binder-free paste of TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) was prepared using a binary-liquid mixture of 1-octanol and CCl₄. The 1:1 (v/v) complex of CCl₄ and 1-octanol easily interacted chemically with the TiO₂ NPs and induced the formation of a highly viscous paste. The as-prepared binary-liquid paste (P_BL)-based TiO₂ film exhibited the complete removal of the binary-liquid and residuals with the subsequent low-temperature sintering (~150℃) and UV-O₃ treatment. This facilitated the fabrication of TiO₂ photoanodes for flexible dye-sensitized solar cells (f-DSSCs). For comparison purposes, pure 1-octanol-based TiO₂ paste (P_O) with moderate viscosity was prepared. The P_BL-based TiO₂ film exhibited strong adhesion and high mechanical stability with the conducting oxide coated glass and plastic substrates compared to the P_O-based film. The corresponding low-temperature sintered P_BL-based f-DSSC showed a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.5%, while it was 2.0% for P_O-based f-DSSC. The P_BL-based low- and high-temperature (500℃) sintered glass-based rigid DSSCs exhibited the PCE of 6.0 and 6.3%, respectively, while this value was 7.1% for a 500℃ sintered rigid DSSC based on a commercial (or conventional) paste.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.831-836
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• 2013

Platinized counter electrode is common in most of the dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) researches because of its high catalytic activity and corrosion stability against iodine in the electrolyte. Platinum (Pt) film coating on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass surface by using alcoholic solution of hexachloroplatinic acid ($H_2PtCl_6$), paste containing Pt precursors or sputtering are widely used techniques. This paper presents a novel application of Pt ink containing nanoparticles for making platinized counter electrode for DSSC. The characteristics of Pt films coated on FTO glass surface by different chemical methods were compared along with the performance parameters of the DSSCs made by using the films as counter electrodes. The samples coated with Pt inks were sintered at $300^{\circ}C$ for 30 minutes whereas Pt-film and Pt-paste were sintered at $400^{\circ}C$ for 30 minutes. The Pt ink diluted in n-hexane was found to a promising candidate for the preparation of platinized counter electrode. The ink may also be applicable for DSSC on flexible substrates after optimization its sintering temperature.

• International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing-Green Technology
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• v.5 no.5
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• pp.643-650
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• 2018

A self-powered electrochromic device was fabricated on an indium tin oxide-polyethylene naphthalate flexible substrate using a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) as a self-harvesting source; the electrochromic device was naturally bleached and operated under outdoor light conditions. The color of the organic electrochromic polymer, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate, was shifted from pale blue to deep blue with an antimony tin oxide film as a charge-balanced material. Electrochromic performance was enhanced by secondary doping using dimethyl sulfoxide. As a result, the device showed stable switching behavior with a high transmittance change difference of 40% at its specific wavelength of 630 nm for 6 hrs. To improve the efficiency of the solar cell, 1.0 wt.% of Ag NWs in the photoanode was applied to the $TiO_2$ photoanode. It resulted in an efficiency of 3.3%, leading to an operating voltage of 0.7 V under xenon lamp conditions. As a result, we built a standalone self-harvesting electrochromic system with the performance of transmittance switching of 29% at 630 nm, by connecting with two solar cells in a device. Thus, a self-harvesting and flexible device was fabricated to operate automatically under the irradiated/dark conditions.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.400.2-400.2
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• 2016

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have been widely investigated as a next generation solar cell because of their simple structure and low manufacturing cost. To realize a commercially competitive technology of DSSCs, it is imperative to employ a technique to prepare nanocrystlline thin film on the flexible organic substrate, aiming at increasing the flexibility and reducing the weight as well as the overall device thickness of DSSCs. The key operation of glass-to-plastic substrates conversion is to prepare mesoporous TiO2 thin film at low temperature with a high surface area for dye adsorption and a high degree of crystallinity for fast transport of electrons. However, the electron transport in the TiO2 film synthesized at low temperature is very poor. So, in this study, TiO2 films synthesized at high temperature were transferred on the selective substrate. We fabricated DSSCs at low temperature using this method. So, we confirmed that the performance of DSSCs using TiO2 films synthesized at high temperature was improved.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.105-110
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• 2009

IZO thin films have been deposited on poly(ethylene terephthalate) flexible substrate under varying radio frequency (rf) power, process pressure and thickness of IZO films using rf magnetron sputtering under $Ar/O_2$ gas mix. As the process pressure increased, the deposition rate was slightly increased and the transmittance showed little change, but the resistivity was increased. With increasing rf power, the great increase in deposition rate was observed but the transmittance showed a slight change only, and the resistivity was decreased. In addition, an attempt was made to find the optimal thickness of IZO films under varying the thickness of IZO films at the process conditions of 1 mTorr pressure and 90 W rf power, which showed lowest resistivity. IZO thin films with the thickness of $1,500{\AA}$ showed lowest resistivity and also showed highest transmittance around the wavelength zone of the maximum absorption. The power conversion efficiency of solar cells fabricated using various transparent electrodes with different thicknesses were measured and the solar cell with IZO electrode of $1,500{\AA}$ showed the maximum conversion-efficiency of 2.88 %.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.02a
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• pp.319-319
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• 2010

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on plastic substrates have attracted much attention mainly due to extensive applications such as ubiquitous powers, as well as the practical reasons such as light weight, flexibility and roll-to-roll process. However, conventional high temperature fabrication technology for glass based DSSCs, cannot be applied to flexible devices because polymer substrates cannot withstand the heat more than $150^{\circ}C$. Therefore, low temperature fabrication process, without using a polymer binder or thermal sintering, was required to fabricate necked $TiO_2$. In this presentation, we proposed polymer-inorganic composite photoelectrode, which can be fabricated at low temperature. The concept of composite electrode takes an advantage of utilizing elastic properties of polymers, such as good impact strength. As an elastic material, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is selected because of its optical transparency and good adhesive properties. In this work, a polymer-inorganic composite electrode was constructed on FTO/glass substrate under low temperature sintering condition, from the mixture of PMMA and $TiO_2$ colloidal solution. The effect of PMMA composition on the photovoltaic property was investigated. Then, the enhanced mechanical stability of this composite electrode on ITO/PEN substrate was also demonstrated from bending test.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.753-764
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• 2015

Among several types of energy saving smart window technologies, the leader, the dynamic EC (electrochromic) window one needs integrated PV (photovoltaics), to minimize expensive electrical wiring as well as to obviate the need for external energy. Self-powered smart windows were reviewed according to PV types used. DSSCs (dye sensitized solar cells) were found to be compatible with EC cells, to have several categories of next generation smart windows such as PECCs (photoelectrochromic cells), PVCCs (photovoltachromic cells), EC polymer PECCs. In addition silicon solar cells and third generation solar cells were investigated. They are summarized in a table showing their advantages and disadvantages respectively for a fast comparison. The strategy to expedite the commercialization of these next generation smart windows includes developing retrofit smart window coverings for use on flexible polymer substrates adhered to the inside surface of a window and easily replaced after use for upto 10 years.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.282-285
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• 2012

It is well known that Zinc Oxide (ZnO) is an attractive material for its various applications. ZnO has been mostly used as a transparent conducting oxide in liquid crystal displays, solar cells due to its advantages of low cost, high productivity, and excellent electrical conductivity. Notably, flexible-dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates require low temperature sintering processing conditions. Therefore, low temperature processing conditions have been strongly required for transparent conducting film applications. In this paper, we prepared low temperature-sintered ZnO ceramics employing Li as a sintering aid.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.65-78
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• 2016

Initial studies of the photocatalyst has been developed from the field relating to the conversion and storage of solar energy. Recently, the study of the various organic decomposition compound and the water purification and waste water treatment by ultraviolet irradiation in the presence of light or a photocatalyst are being actively investigated. In addition, the oxidized material-carbon nanotubes, graphene-nanocomposites have been studied. Such a complex is suitable as a material constituting the solar cells and photolysis nanoelectronics, including the flexible element due to thermal and chemical stability.