Effects of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate as a Co-Adsorbate on the Performance of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Abstract

As a surface modifier, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), was applied to dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), and its effects on the photovoltaic performance of the solar cells were investigated. When the SDS was co-adsorbed with dye (N719) onto TiO2 surface, the DSSCs with SDS showed an increase in short-circuit current (Jsc), open-circuit voltage (Voc) and fill factor, leading to a considerable improvement of over 23% in power conversion efficiency, compared to the reference cell without SDS. Incorporation of SDS on TiO2 surface induced longer lifetime of electrons injected from excited dyes to conduction band of TiO2, leading to an increase in the electron collection efficiency and thus an enhancement in Jsc. The longer lifetime by a suppression of the interfacial charge recombination could also contribute to an increment in Voc. Copyright © 2015 American Scientific Publishers All rights reserved.