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Synthesis and integration of poly(1-vinylimidazole) polymer electrolyte in dye sensitized solar cells by initiated chemical vapor deposition
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Synthesis and integration of poly(1-vinylimidazole) polymer electrolyte in dye sensitized solar cells by initiated chemical vapor deposition

Austin G. Kuba, Yuriy Y. Smolin, Masoud Soroush and Kenneth K. S. Lau
Chemical engineering science, v 154, pp 136-142
02 Nov 2016
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2016.05.007View
Accepted (AM)Open Access (Publisher-Specific) Open

Abstract

Engineering Engineering, Chemical Science & Technology Technology
Initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) is used to integrate poly(1-vinylimidazole) (PVIZ) into the mesoporous photoanode of dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). To our knowledge, this is the first reported demonstration of PVIZ via iCVD as a novel polymer electrolyte in DSSCs. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) verified the iCVD polymer as stoichiometric PVIZ. Polymer deposition rate was found to increase with increasing reactor pressure and decreasing substrate temperature. The kinetic studies further determined that the surface polymerization reaction is first order with respect to the surface monomer concentration. The power conversion efficiency of DSSCs incorporating crosslinked PVIZ was found to be 27% higher than that of liquid electrolyte DSSCs as a result of higher open circuit voltage and short circuit current. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Web of Science research areas
Engineering, Chemical
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