• 전기학회논문지
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• 제58권12호
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• pp.2425-2430
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• 2009

Dye-sensitized solar cell(DSC) is composed of a dye-adsorbed nanoporous $TiO_2$ layer on fluorine-doped tin oxide(FTO) glass substrate, electrolyte, and platinium doped counter electrode. Among these, a dye-absorbed nanoporous $TiO_2$ layer plays an important role in the performance of the DSC because the injected electrons from excited dye molecules move through this layer. And the condition of $TiO_2$ layer such as the morphology and thickness affects on the electron movement. Therefore, the performances and the efficiency of DSC change as the thickness of $TiO_2$ layer is different. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy(EIS) is the powerful analysis method to study the kinetics of electrochemical and photoelectrochemical processes occurring in the DSC especially the injected electron movements. So we analyzed the DSCs with different $TiO_2$ thicknesses by using EIS to understand the influence of the $TiO_2$ thickness to the performance of the DSC clearly. Finally, we got the EIS analysis on the DSC with different $TiO_2$ thickness from the internal resistance of the DSC, the electron life time and the amount of dye molecules.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제32권10호
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• pp.3629-3633
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• 2011

The effect of a dense $TiO_2$ blocking layer prepared using the sol-gel method on the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells was studied. The blocking layer formed directly on the working electrode, separated it from the electrolyte, and prevented the back transfer of electrons from the electrode to the electrolyte. The dyesensitized solar cells were prepared with a working electrode of fluorine-doped tin oxide glass coated with a blocking layer of dense $TiO_2$, a dye-attached mesoporous $TiO_2$ film, and a nano-gel electrolyte, and a counter electrode of Pt-deposited FTO glass. The gel processing conditions and heat treatment temperature for blocking layer formation affected the morphology and performance of the cells, and their optimal values were determined. The introduction of the blocking layer increased the conversion efficiency of the cell by 7.37% for the cell without a blocking layer to 8.55% for the cell with a dense $TiO_2$ blocking layer, under standard illumination conditions. The short-circuit current density ($J_{sc}$) and open-circuit voltage ($V_{oc}$) also were increased by the addition of a dense $TiO_2$ blocking layer.

• Advances in Energy Research
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• 제5권3호
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• pp.219-226
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• 2017

Electrochemical double layer capacitors (EDLCs) have received a tremendous interest due to their suitability for diverse applications. They have been fabricated using different carbon based electrodes including activated carbons, single walled/multi walled carbon nano tubes. But, graphite which is one of the natural resources in Sri Lanka has not been given a considerable attention towards using for EDLCs though it is a famous carbon material. On the other hand, EDLCs are well reported with various liquid electrolytes which are associated with numerous drawbacks. Gel polymer electrolytes (GPE) are well known alternative for liquid electrolytes. In this paper, it is reported about an EDLC fabricated with a nano composite polyethylene oxide based GPE and two Sri Lankan graphite based electrodes. The composition of the GPE was [{(10PEO: $NaClO_4$) molar ratio}: 75wt.% PC] : 5 wt.% $TiO_2$. GPE was prepared using the solvent casting method. Two graphite electrodes were prepared by mixing 85% graphite and 15% polyvinylidenefluoride (PVdF) in acetone and casting n fluorine doped tin oxide glass plates. GPE film was sandwiched in between the two graphite electrodes. A non faradaic charge discharge mechanism was observed from the Cyclic Voltammetry study. GPE was stable in the potential windows from (-0.8 V-0.8 V) to (-1.5 V-1.5 V). By increasing the width of the potential window, single electrode specific capacity increased. Impedance plots confirmed the capacitive behavior at low frequency region. Galvanostatic charge discharge test yielded an average discharge capacity of $0.60Fg^{-1}$.

• 한국진공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국진공학회 2011년도 제41회 하계 정기 학술대회 초록집
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• pp.259-259
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• 2011

염료감응형 태양전지(Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells:DSSC)는 환경 친화적이며, 저가의 공정에 대한 가능성으로 기존의 고가의 결정질 실리콘 태양전지의 경제적인 대안으로 각광을 받고 있다. 최근 염료감응형 태양전지는 투명 전도성 산화막(Transparent Conducting Oxide : TCO)으로 사용되는 Fluorine Tin Oxide (FTO)가 증착된 유리기판 위에 주로 제작된다. FTO는 낮은 비저항과 가시광선 영역에서 높은 투과도를 가지는 우수한 전기-광학적 특성을 갖지만, 비교적 공정이 까다로운 Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD)법으로 제조하며, 전체 공정비용의 60%를 차지하는 높은 생산단가로 인해 현재 FTO를 대체할 재료개발 연구가 활발히 진행되고 있다. 그 중 ZnO (Zinc Oxide)는 우수한 전기-광학적 특성과 비교적 저렴한 가격으로 새로운 TCO로써 주목받고 있다. ZnO는 넓은 energy band gap (3.4 [eV])의 육방정계 울자이트(hexagonal wurtzite) 결정 구조를 가지는II-VI족 n형 반도체 물질이며, III족 금속원소인 Al, Ga 및 In 등의 불순물을 첨가하면 TCO로서 우수한 전기-광학적 특성과 안정성을 나타낸다. 이들 물질중 $Zn^{2+}$ (0.060 nm)의 이온반경과 유사한 $Ga^{2+}$0.062 nm) 이온이 ZnO의 격자반경을 최소화 시킬 수 있다는 장점으로 최근 주목 받고 있다. 하지만 Ga-doped ZnO (GZO)의 경우 DSC에 사용되는 루테늄 계열의 산성 염료 하에 장시간 두면 표면이 파괴되는 문제가 발생하며, $TiO_2$ paste를 Printing 후 열처리하는 과정에서도 박막의 파괴가 발생할 수 있다. 이를 방지하기 위해 $TiO_2$ Blocking Layer를 GZO 투명전극 위에 증착하였다. 또한, $TiO_2$ Blocking Layer를 적용한 GZO 박막을 전면전극으로 이용하여 DSC를 제작하여 효율을 확인하였다. 2wt%의 $Ga_2O_3$가 도핑된 ZnO 박막은 20mTorr 400$^{\circ}C$에서 Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD)에 의해 성장되었고, $TiO_2$박막은 Ti 금속을 타겟으로 이용하여 30mTorr 400$^{\circ}C$에서 증착되었다. Scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM)을 이용한 박막 분석 결과 $TiO_2$가 증착된 GZO 박막의 경우 표면 파괴가 일어나지 않았다. Solar Simulator을 이용하여 I-V특성 측정결과 상용 FTO를 사용한 DSC 수준의 효율을 나타내었다. 이에 따라 Pulsed Laser Deposition을 이용해 제작된 GZO 기판은 $TiO_2$ Blocking Layer를 이용하여 표면 파괴를 방지할 수 있었으며, 이는 향후 염료감응형 태양전지의 투명전극에 적용 가능 할 것으로 판단된다.

• 한국수소및신에너지학회논문집
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• 제28권1호
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• pp.63-69
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• 2017

In this work, two different platinum (Pt) counter electrodes have been prepared by spin coating a Pt solution and screen printing a Pt paste on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrate followed by sintering at $380^{\circ}C$ for 30 min. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analyses of the Pt electrodes showed that the spin coated electrode was catalytically more active than the screen printed electrode. The above result agrees well with the surface morphology of the electrodes studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the photovoltaic performance of the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) fabricated with the Pt electrodes. Moreover, calculation of current density-voltage (j-V) curves according to diode model with the parameters obtained from the experimental j-V curves and the EIS data of the DSSCs provided a quantitative insight about how the catalytic activity of the counter electrodes affected the photovoltaic performance of the cells. Even though the experimental situations involved in this work are trivial, the method of analyses outlined here gives a strong insight about how the catalytic activity of a counter electrode affects the photovoltaic performance of a DSSC. This work, also, demonstrates how the photovoltaic performance of DSSCs can be improved by tuning the performance of counter electrode materials.

• 한국세라믹학회지
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• 제51권4호
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• pp.362-366
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• 2014

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were synthesized using a $0.25cm^2$ area of a $TiO_2$ nanoparticle layer as the electrode and platinum (Pt) as the counter electrode. The $TiO_2$ nanoparticle layers (12 to 22 ${\mu}m$) were screen-printed on fluorine-doped tin oxide glass. Glancing angle X-ray diffraction results indicated that the $TiO_2$ layer is composed of pure anatase with no traces of rutile $TiO_2$. The Pt counter electrode and the ruthenium dye anchored $TiO_2$ electrode were then assembled. The best photovoltaic performance of DSSC, which consists of a $18{\mu}m$ thick $TiO_2$ nanoparticle layer, was observed at a short circuit current density ($J_{sc}$) of $14.68mA{\cdot}cm^{-2}$, an open circuit voltage ($V_{oc}$) of 0.72V, a fill factor (FF) of 63.0%, and an energy conversion efficiency (${\eta}$) of 6.65%. It can be concluded that the electrode thickness is attributed to the energy conversion efficiency of DSSCs.

• 한국분말재료학회지
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.1-6
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• 2018

Uniform $TiO_2$ blocking layers (BLs) are fabricated using ultrasonic spray pyrolysis deposition (USPD) method. To improve the photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), the BL thickness is controlled by using USPD times of 0, 20, 60, and 100 min, creating $TiO_2$ BLs of 0, 40, 70, and 100 nm, respectively, in average thickness on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass. Compared to the other samples, the DSSC containing the uniform $TiO_2$ BL of 70 nm in thickness shows a superior power conversion efficiency of $7.58{\pm}0.20%$ because of the suppression of electron recombination by the effect of the optimized thickness. The performance improvement is mainly attributed to the increased open-circuit voltage ($0.77{\pm}0.02V$) achieved by the increased Fermi energy levels of the working electrodes and the improved short-circuit current density ($15.67{\pm}0.43mA/cm^2$) by efficient electron transfer pathways. Therefore, optimized $TiO_2$ BLs fabricated by USPD may allow performance improvements in DSSCs.