The renaissance of monolithic dye-sensitized solar cells

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2022-08

Authors

Fátima Santos (Author) FEUP; Dzmitry Ivanou (Author) FEUP; Adélio Mendes (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Materials Today Communications

Vol. 32

ISSN: 2352-4928

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

Scopus - 0 Citations

Crossref - 14 Citations

Scientific classification

CORDIS: Natural sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00W-ZTG

DOI: 10.1016/j.mtcomm.2022.104030

Abstract (EN): Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) present unique features, such as colorfulness, potential transparency, flexibility, and low cost. Still, the main advantage of DSSCs lies in their outstanding performance for indoor applications; this photovoltaic (PV) technology proved to be a sustainable energy source for the low-power electronics needed for the Internet of Things (IoT), with power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) above 30 %. DSSCs in monolithic configuration (M-DSSCs) are very promising for both indoor and outdoor applications. Monolithic design implies using only one transparent conductive substrate, offering a significant reduction in material costs. The fabrication of M-DSSCs is compatible with roll-to-roll production, straightforward for creating in-series modules, and is appealing for the emerging efficient solid-state DSSCs devices. However, the downside of MDSSCs is the poorer power conversion efficiencies compared to their conventional counterparts. This review article reports and discusses the research progress on M-DSSCs, including small laboratory devices and large-area modules; semi-transparent, flexible, and solid-state M-DSSCs are touched upon. Problems associated with the power conversion efficiency and stability of M-DSSCs are discussed, and feasible solutions are suggested to overcome these issues, ultimately targeting to identify a strategy for developing efficient and stable low-cost MDSSCs, attractive for commercial use.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 11