• Proceedings of the Polymer Society of Korea Conference
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• 2006.10a
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• pp.273-273
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• 2006

The encapsulation of volatile organic electrolytes is a major challenge in practical applications of the DSSC. Ionic liquid (IL) within polymer electrolytes is an attractive candidate for replacement. Here we used a low viscosity ionic liquid 1-ethyl 3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate in order to modify ionic conductivity (${\sigma}$) of polymer electrolyte ($PEO:Kl/l_{2}$) and hence DSSC efficiency. The doping of IL enhanced ${\sigma}$ and attained maximum (${\sigma}=7.62{\times}10^{-4}S/cm$) at 80 wt% of IL concentration. Beyond this it was harder to get stable films. XRD confirmed that the intensity of the sharp PEO crystalline peaks decreased when IL was added. The DSC studies confirmed the reduction in crystallinity by adding ionic liquid.The efficiency of solar cell using aforesaid material was 0.6 % at 1 sun irradiation.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.963-968
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• 2009

Liquid crystal (LC; E7 and/or ML-0249)-embedded, poly(vinylidenefluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVdF-co-HFP)-based, polymer electrolytes were prepared for use in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The electrolytes contained 1-methyl-3-propylimidazolium iodide (PMII), tetrabutylammonium iodide (TBAI), and iodine ($I_2$), which participate in the $I_3^-/I^-$ redox couple. The incorporation of photochemically stable PVdF-co-HFP in the DSSCs created a stable polymer electrolyte that resisted leakage and volatilization. DSSCs, with liquid crystal(LC)-embedded PVdF-co-HFP-based polymer electrolytes between the amphiphilic ruthenium dye N719 absorbed to the nanocrystalline $TiO_2$ photoanode and the Pt counter electrode, were fabricated. These DSSCs displayed enhanced redox couple reduction and reduced charge recombination in comparison to that fabricated from the conventional PVdF-co-HFP-based polymer electrolyte. The behavior of the polymer electrolyte was improved by the addition of optimized amounts of plasticizers, such as ethylene carbonate (EC) and propylene carbonate (PC). The significantly increased short-circuit current density ($J_{sc}$, $14.60\;mA/cm^2$) and open-circuit voltage ($V_{oc}$, 0.68 V) of these DSSCs led to a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.42% and a fill factor of 0.65 under a standard light intensity of $100\;mW/cm^2$ irradiation of AM 1.5 sunlight. A DSSC fabricated by using E7-embedded PVdF-co-HFP-based polymer electrolyte exhibited a maximum incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) of 50%.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.308-313
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• 2014

The effect of electrochemical characteristics of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) upon employing multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) on both working electrode and counter electrode were examined with using EIS, J-V curves and UV-Vis absorption spectrometry. When 0.1 wt% of MWCNT was employed in the $TiO_2$-MWCNT composit on working electrode, the energy conversion efficiency increased about 12.5% compared to the $TiO_2$ only working electrode. The higher light conversion efficiency may attribut to the high electrical conductivity of MWCNT in $TiO_2$-MWCNT composite which improves the electron transport in the working electrode. However, higher amount of MWCNT than 0.1 wt% in the $TiO_2$-MWCNT composite decreases the light conversion efficiency, which is mainly ascribed to the decreased transmittance of light by MWCNT and to the decreased adsorption of dye onto $TiO_2$. The MWCNT employed counter electrode exhibited much lower light conversion efficiency of DSSC than the Pt-counter electrode, while the MWCNT-Pt counter electrode showed similar in light conversion efficiency to that of Pt-counter electrode.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.96.1-96.1
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• 2010

현재 태양광 시장에 진출한 대부분의 Si계열 태양전지는 복잡한 공정과 원재료 고갈, 높은 가격으로 인해 한계에 직면에 있는 상태이다. 최근 많은 연구소나 학교에서는 기존의 Si계열 태양전지를 대체할 대안으로 염료 감응형 태양전지에 대해서 높은 관심을 보이고 있으며, 그동안의 연구개발로 단위 셀 면적에서는 상용화에 근접한 효율을 확보한 상태이다. 염료 감응형 태양전지의 작동과정을 간단히 단계별로 살펴보면 나노 결정 산화물 반도체 표면에 흡착된 염료분자가 가시광선을 흡수하면 전자는 HOMO에서 LUMO로 천이하고 이 들뜬 상태의 전자는 다시 에너지 준위가 낮은 반도체 산화물의 전도띠로 주입된다. 주입된 전자는 나노 입자간 계면을 통하여 투명 전도성막으로 확산, 전달되고 산화된 염료분자는 전해질 I-에 의해 다시 환원되어 중성 분자가 된다. 그러나 표면상태 전자 중 일부는 산화된 염료와 다시 결합하거나, 전해질의 $I^{3-}$ 이온을 환원시키기도 한다. 이와 같은 과정은 암전류를 증가시키면서 반도체 전극 막의 성능을 저해하는 주원인이 된다. 전자의 재결합은 투명 전극을 통해서도 가능하기 때문에 투명 전극에 얇은 blocking layer를 도포한 후 나노 결정 산화물 반도체 전극을 제작하면 전지 특성을 향상시킬 수 있다. 본 실험에서 우리는 졸-젤 법으로 $TiO_2$ blocking layer 졸을 만들었고 간단하며 저가공정이 가능한 스크린 프린팅 방법으로 blocking layer를 형성하는 실험을 진행하였다. 전도띠 에너지가 높은 반도체 물질로 표면을 처리하면 $TiO_2$-전해질 간 계면에 에너지 장벽이 형성되어 재결합을 줄여 모든 광전특성이 향상 되었다.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.395-401
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• 2012

The bond strength of three types of $TiO_2$ coatings onto fluorine-doped $SnO_2$ (FTO) glass was investigated with the aid of a tape test according to ASTM D 3359-95. Transmittance was then measured using an UV-vis spectrophotometer in the wavelength range of 300 nm to 800 nm to evaluate the extent of adhesion of $TiO_2$ nanorods/nanoparticles on FTO glass. A sharp interface between the coating layer and the substrate was observed for single $TiO_2$ coating ($TiO_2$ nanorods/FTO glass), which may be detrimental to the bonding strength. In multicoating sample ($TiO_2$ nanorod/$TiO_2$ nanoparticle/$TiO_2$ nanoparticle/FTO glass), the tape test was not performed due to severe peeling-off prior to the test. On the other hand, the dual coating sample ($TiO_2$ nanorod/$TiO_2$ nanoparticle/FTO glass) showed minimum variation of transmittance (4%) after the test, suggesting that the topcoat adheres well with the FTO substrate due to the presence of the $TiO_2$ nanoparticle buffer layer. The use of a $TiO_2$ nanorod electrode layer with good adhesion may be attributed to the excellent dye sensitized solar cell performance.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2010

Organic/inorganic composite electrolyte membranes were prepared for dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG)s with various molecular weight (600, 1,500, 2,000 and 3,400) were ethoxysilated to fabricate organic/inorganic composite materials through sol-gel processes. The electrolyte membranes were produced by doping the composite materials with KI and $I_2$, and their ionic conducting behaviors were investigated. The ionic conductivity of the composite membrane was highly affected by PEG molecular weight. The highest conductivity was shown by the composite membrane prepared with PEG with the molecular weight of 2,000. The composite electrolyte membranes showed considerable improvement of ionic conductivity. Compared to PEO electrolyte membranes, the composite electrolyte membrane by PEG, MW 2,000 showed much higher ionic conductivity.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.66-72
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• 2010

In this paper, AZO thin film was deposited on polyethylene terephthalate(PET) substrate by r. f. magnetron sputtering method from a ZnO target mixed with 2[wt%] Al2O3. The flexible film-typed dye sensitized solar cell(F-DSC) was fabricated and photo-electric conversion efficiency was investigated. The results showed that the minimum resistivity and the maximum deposition rate of AZO conducting film were recorded as $1.8{\times}10^{-3}[{\Omega}{\cdot}cm]$ and 25.5[nm/min], respectively at r.f. power of 220[W]. From the analysis of XPS data an improvement of electrical resistivity or an increase in carrier concentration with increasing sputtering power may be related to the generation of lattice imperfections as a result of increasing component ratio of O1s/Zn2p, which generates donor carriers or active growth of crystalline grain. The photo-electric conversion efficiency of F-DSC with AZO conducting electrode was over 2.79[%], which was comparable as that with commercially available ITO electrode.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.345-353
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• 2008

Organic/inorganic composite electrolyte membranes were prepared for dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)s with various molecular weight (400, 600, 1,500 and 3,400) was ethoxysilated to fabricate organic/inorganic composite materials through sol-gel processes. The electrolyte membranes were produced by doping the composite materials with NaI and $I_2$, and their ionic conducting behavior was investigated. The ionic conductivity of the composite electrolyte was highly affected by the PEG molecular weight, and the highest conductivity was shown by the composite membrane prepared with PEG with the molecular weight of 1,500. The composite electrolyte membranes showed considerable improvement of ionic conductivity. Compared to PEO electrolyte membranes, the composite electrolyte membrane prepared by PEG, MW 1,500, showed much higher ionic conductivity.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.162-166
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• 2012

High density of ZnO nanorods were fabricated by electrochemical deposition and subsequent heat treatment. Formation of $Zn(OH)_2$ and ZnO during electrodeposition indicated that the electrodeposition efficiency of ZnO was below 33%. ZnO rod has a preferential (200) growth plane after heat treatment at $500^{\circ}C$ and the growth rate of ZnO rod was measured to be 0.986 ${\mu}m/hr$. Dye sensitized solar cell(DSC) showed the efficiency of 0.21% when electrochemically prepared ZnO rod was used as an electrode. It suggests the possible application of ZnO rod structure in the DSC.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.18 no.10
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• pp.515-520
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• 2008

We fabricated 10 nm-$TiO_2$ thin films for DSSC (dye sensitized solar cell) electrode application using ALD (atomic layer deposition) method at the low temperatures of $150^{\circ}\;and\;250^{\circ}$. We characterized the crosssectional microstructure, phase, chemical binding energy, and absorption of the $TiO_2$ using TEM, HRXRD, XPS, and UV-VIS-NIR, respectively. TEM analysis showed a 10 nm-thick flat and uniform $TiO_2$ thin film regardless of the deposition temperatures. Through XPS analysis, it was found that the stoichiometric $TiO_2$ phase was formed and confirmed by measuring main characteristic peaks of Ti $2p^1$, Ti $2p^3$, and O 1s indicating the binding energy status. Through UV-VIS-NIR analysis, ALD-$TiO_2$ thin films were found to have a band gap of 3.4 eV resulting in the absorption edges at 360 nm, while the conventional $TiO_2$ films had a band gap of 3.0 eV (rutile)${\sim}$3.2 eV (anatase) with the absorption edges at 380 nm and 410 nm. Our results implied that the newly proposed nano-thick $TiO_2$ film using an ALD process at $150^{\circ}$ had almost the same properties as thsose of film at $250^{\circ}$. Therefore, we confirmed that the ALD-processed $TiO_2$ thin film with nano-thickness formed at low temperatures might be suitable for the electrode process of flexible devices.