Electrolyte composition for dye-sensitized solar cell
An electrolyte composition for a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) is provided, which includes a redox couple solution and inorganic nanoparticles. The surface of the inorganic nanoparticle may have a substituted or unsubstituted silane group, an ether group, a substituted amino group, a carbonyl group, an ester group, an amide group or a combination thereof.
1. An electrolyte composition for a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), comprising:
a redox couple solution; and
an inorganic nanoparticle selected from the group consisting of titanium dioxide, silicon dioxide, zinc oxide, aluminum oxide, cadmium sulfide, zirconium oxide, calcium phosphate and a combination thereof, wherein the surface of the inorganic nanoparticle comprises a substituted or unsubstituted silane group, an ether group, a substituted amino group, a carbonyl group, an ester group, an amide group or a combination thereof, and wherein the substituted or unsubstituted silane group has a structure represented by the following Chemical Formula (1):
wherein R 1 is selected from the group consisting of H, OH, OCH 3 , OC 2 H 5 and OCOCH 3 , and R 2 is selected from the group consisting of C1-C7 linear and branched alkyl and G is selected from the group consisting of CH 3 , C 2 H 4 , CF 3 , Cl, NH 2 , N(CH 3 ), cyclopentane and
2. The electrolyte composition of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic nanoparticle has a content of from 0.1 to 20 wt %, based on the total weight of the electrolyte composition.
3. The electrolyte composition of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic nanoparticle has a diameter in a range of 1 to 100 nm.
4. The electrolyte composition of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the inorganic nanoparticle comprises the ether group, and wherein the ether group has a structure represented by the following Chemical Formula (2):
wherein R 3 is selected from the group consisting of C1-C20 linear and branched alkyl, C3-C20 cycloalkyl, C6-C20 aryl, C1-C5 linear and branched hydroxyl, C1-C5 linear and branched carbonyl, C1-C5 linear and branched halo group and a combination thereof.
5. The electrolyte composition of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the inorganic nanoparticle comprises the substituted amino group, and wherein the substituted amino group has a structure represented by the following Chemical Formula (3):
wherein R 4 is selected from the group consisting of C1-C20 linear and branched alkyl, C3-C20 cycloalkyl, C6-C20 aryl, C1-C5 linear and branched carbonyl and a combination thereof.
6. The electrolyte composition of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the inorganic nanoparticle comprises the carbonyl group, and wherein the carbonyl group has a structure represented by the following Chemical Formula (4):
wherein R 5 is selected from the group consisting of C1-C20 linear and branched alkyl, C3-C20 cycloalkyl, C6-C20 aryl, C1-C5 linear and branched haloformyl and a combination thereof.
7. The electrolyte composition of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the inorganic nanoparticle comprises the ester group, and wherein the ester group has a structure represented by the following Chemical Formula (5):
wherein R 6 is selected from the group consisting of C1-C20 linear and branched alkyl, C6-C20 aryl, C1-C20 linear alkenyl and a combination thereof.
8. The electrolyte composition of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the inorganic nanoparticle comprises the amide group, and wherein the amide group has a structure represented by the following Chemical Formula (6):
wherein R 7 is selected from the group consisting of C1-C20 linear and branched alkyl, C6-C20 aryl, C1-C20 linear and branched isocyanato group, C6-C20 silane group and a combination thereof.
9. The electrolyte composition of claim 1 , wherein the redox couple solution has a redox couple which is I 3 − /I − , Br − /Br 2 , Co(II)/Co(III), SCN − /(SCN) 2 or SeCN − /(SeCN) 2 .