A Plasticized Polymer-Electrolyte-Based Photoelectrochemical Solar Cell

D. Mao, M. A. Ibrahim, A. J. Frank

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Scopus Citations

Abstract

A photoelectrochemical solar cell based on an n-GaAs/polymer-redox-electrolyte junction is reported. Di(ethylene glycol)ethyl ether acrylate containing ferrocene as a redox species and benzoin methyl ether as a photoinitiator is polymerized in situ. Propylene carbonate is used as a plasticizer to improve the conductivity of the polymer redox electrolyte. For thin (1 μm) polymer electrolytes, the series resistance of the cell is neglible. However, the short-circuit photocurrent density of the cell at light intensities above 10 mW/cm2 is limited by mass transport of redox species within the polymer matrix. At a light intensity of 70 mW/cm2, a moderate light-to-electrical energy conversion efficiency (3.1%) is obtained. The interfacial charge-transfer properties of the cell in the dark and under illumination are studied.

Original languageAmerican English
Pages (from-to)121-124
Number of pages4
JournalJournal of the Electrochemical Society
Volume145
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1998

NREL Publication Number

  • NREL/JA-570-24270

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