Siliconized triarylamines as redox mediator in dye-sensitized solar cells

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2012 Nov;4(11):6211-5. doi: 10.1021/am301812d. Epub 2012 Nov 7.

Abstract

A new class of triarylamine compound functionalized with bulky triisopropylsilyl ether (-OTIPS) groups is used as a hole transport material in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Using both optical and photoelectrochemical techniques, we compared the performance of this compound with that of a parent compound containing methyl ethers as well as the conventional I₃⁻/I⁻ redox couple. DSSCs fabricated with the triisopropylsilyl ether-substituted triarylamine exhibited high open circuit potentials (V(oc) > 0.9 V on average) and efficiencies of up to 1.9%. However, cells fabricated with triarylamine containing methyl ethers performed very poorly, pointing to the importance of -OTIPS in the overall performance of this material.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amines / chemistry*
  • Coloring Agents / chemistry*
  • Electric Power Supplies*
  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Silicon / chemistry*
  • Solar Energy*

Substances

  • Amines
  • Coloring Agents
  • Silicon