• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.571-575
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• 2005

In order to improve the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), $TiO_2$ electrode screen-printed on transparent conducting oxide (TCO) substrate was sintered in variation with different temperature$(350\;to\;550^{\circ}C)$. $TiO_2$ electrode on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass was assembled with Pt counter electrode on FTO glass. I-V properties of DSSCs were measured under solar simulator. Also, effect of sintering temperature on surface morphology of $TiO_2$ films was investigated to understand correlation between its surface morphology and sintering temperature. Such surface morphology was observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Below sintering temperature of $500^{\circ}C$, efficiency of DSSCs was relatively lower due to lower open circuit voltage. Oppositely, above sintering temperature of $500^{\circ}C$, efficiency of DSSCs was relatively higher due to higher open circuit voltage. In both cases, lower fill factor (FF) was observed. However, at sintering temperature of $500^{\circ}C$, both efficiency and fill factor of DSSCs were mutually complementary, enhancing highest fill factor and efficiency. Such results can be explained in comparison of surface morphology with schematic diagram of energy states on the $TiO_2$ electrode surface. Consequently, it was considered that optimum sintering temperature of a-terpinol included $TiO_2$ paste is at $500^{\circ}C$.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.06a
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• pp.335-338
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• 2007

Cost effectiveness is an important parameter for producing DSSCs as compared to the widely used conventional silicon based solar cells. A fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate coated with a catalytic amount of platinum is used as counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cell. Carbonaceous materials are quite attractive to replace platinum due to their high electronic conductivity, corrosion resistance towards $I_{2}$, good catalytic effect and low cost. In this paper, the unit DSSCs with Pt and CNT as a counter electrode were connected in series-parallel externally, then the current-voltage curves were investigated to find out the connection characteristics of the DSSC with CNT counter electrode. The connection characteristics of the DSSC with CNT counter electrode is superior to that of the DSSC with Pt counter electrode. And a parallel connection of the DSSC with CNT counter electrode has higher efficiency than a series connection of that.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.2633-2636
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• 2011

A new type of ionic liquid based on N-(3-aminepropyl)imidazolium iodide, called IIQAI, which consists of imidazolium and quaternary ammonium salt, and APII-(hydroxyethyl, propyl, hexyl) were synthesized and used as ionic liquid in dye-sensitized solar cells. APII-hexyl is solid, whereas IIQAI, APII-(hydroxyethyl, propyl) are viscous liquids. The synthesized ionic liquid showed relative thermal stability compared to the commercial ionic liquid of DMII. Among them, IIQAI was more stable than the other ionic liquid because of the two salt groups. APII-hydroxyethyl, which contains two hydroxyl groups, showed low viscosity with good flow. New types of ionic liquids were examined by $^1H$-NMR spectroscopy, thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). IIQAI enabled a solar energy conversion efficiency of 6.3%, which is slightly higher than that of the referenced (DMII, 6.2%).

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.1989-1992
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• 2012

We present a low temperature (${\approx}70^{\circ}C$) method to prepare anatase, vertically aligned feather-like $TiO_2$ (VAFT) nanowire arrays $via$ reactive pulsed DC magnetron sputtering. The synthesis method is general, offering a promising strategy for preparing crystalline nanowire metal oxide films for applications including gas sensing, photocatalysis, and 3rd generation photovoltaics. As an example application, anatase nanowire films are grown on fluorine doped tin oxide coated glass substrates and used as the photoanode in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). AM1.5G power conversion efficiencies for the solar cells made of 1 ${\mu}m$ thick VAFT have reached 0.42%, which compares favorably to solar cells made of the same thickness P25 $TiO_2$ (0.35%).

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.179-182
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• 2006

The effect of electron beam irradiation on dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) has been studied to examine degradation of DSSC. The high-energy electron beam irradiation affects on the materials and performance of dye sensitized solar cells. We have checked the effects of electron beam irradiation of $TiO_2$ substrate with and without dye adsorption on the photovoltaic performances of resulting DSSCS and also studied the structural and electrical properties of polymers after irradiation. All solar cells materials were irradiated by electron beams with an energy source of 2MeV at different dose rates of 60 kGy, 120 kGy 240 kGy and 900 kGy and then their photoelectrical parameters were measured at 1 sun $(100 mW/cm^2)$. It was shown that the efficiency of DSSC was decreased as increasing the dose of e-beam irradiation due to lowering in $TiO_2$ crystallinity, decomposition of dye and oxidation of FTO glasses. On the other hand, the performance of solid-state DSSC with polyethylene oxide based electrolyte was improved after irradiation of e-beam due to enhancement of its conductivity and breakage of crosslinking.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.42.2-42.2
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• 2011

$TiO_2$ films were modified by adding a glass frit as a light scattering particle and applied to an anode electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) to enhance the adhesion between $TiO_2$ and fluorine doped transparent oxide (FTO). Low melting point glass frits at contents of (3 to 7wt%) were added to the nano crystalline $TiO_2$ films. The light scattering properties, photovoltaic properties and microstructures of the photo electrodes were examined to determine the role of the low glass transition temperature ($T_g$) glass frit. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method and scratch test were conducted to support the results. The DSSC with the $TiO_2$ film containing 3wt% low Tg glass frit showed optimal performance (5.1%, energy conversion efficiency) compared to the $TiO_2$-based one. The photocurrent density slightly decreased by adding 3wt% of the frit due to its large size and non conductivity. However, the decrease of current density followed by the decrease of electron transfer due to the large frit in $TiO_2$ electrode was compensated by the scattering effect, high surface area and reduced the electron transfer impedance at the electrolyte-dye-$TiO_2$ interface. The stability of the photo electrodes was improved by the frit, which chemically promoted the sintering of $TiO_2$ at relatively low temperature ($450^{\circ}C$).

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.831-836
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• 2013

Platinized counter electrode is common in most of the dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) researches because of its high catalytic activity and corrosion stability against iodine in the electrolyte. Platinum (Pt) film coating on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass surface by using alcoholic solution of hexachloroplatinic acid ($H_2PtCl_6$), paste containing Pt precursors or sputtering are widely used techniques. This paper presents a novel application of Pt ink containing nanoparticles for making platinized counter electrode for DSSC. The characteristics of Pt films coated on FTO glass surface by different chemical methods were compared along with the performance parameters of the DSSCs made by using the films as counter electrodes. The samples coated with Pt inks were sintered at $300^{\circ}C$ for 30 minutes whereas Pt-film and Pt-paste were sintered at $400^{\circ}C$ for 30 minutes. The Pt ink diluted in n-hexane was found to a promising candidate for the preparation of platinized counter electrode. The ink may also be applicable for DSSC on flexible substrates after optimization its sintering temperature.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.2329-2337
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• 2009

Three heteroleptic ruthenium sensitizers, Ru(L)($L^1)(NCS)_2$ [L = 4,4'-dicarboxylic acid-2,2'-bipyridine, Ru-T1: $L^1$ = (E)-2-(4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyridin-4-yl)-3-(thiophen-2-yl)acrylonitrile, Ru-T2: $L^2$ = (E)-3-(5'-hexyl-2,2'-bithiophen-5- yl)-2-(4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyridin-4-yl)acrylonitrile, and Ru-T3: $L^3$ = (E)-3-(5"-hexyl-2,2':5',2"-terthiophen-5-yl)-2- (4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyridin-4-yl)acrylonitrile)], were synthesized and used as photosensitizers in nanocrystalline dyesensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The introduction of the 3-(5-hexyloligothiophen-5-yl)acrylonitrile group increased the conjugation length of the bipyridine donor ligand and thus improved their molar absorption coefficient and light harvesting efficiency. DSSCs with the configuration of Sn$O_2$: F/Ti$O_2$/ruthenium dye/liquid electrolyte/Pt devices were fabricated using these Ru-$T1{\sim}T3$ as a photosensitizers. Among the devices, the DSSCs composed of Ru-T2 exhibited highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2.84% under AM 1.5 G illumination (100 mW/$cm^2$).

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.257-264
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• 2017

A polymeric ionic liquid, poly(1-methyl 3-(2-acryloyloxypropyl) imidazolium iodide) (PMAPII), was synthesized as a single-iodide-ion-conducting polymer and employed in a gel polymer electrolyte. Gel polymer electrolytes prepared from iodine, 4-tert-butylpyridine, ${\gamma}$-butyrolactone, and PMAPII were applied in quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The addition of 16 wt.% PMAPII provided the most favorable environment, striking a compromise between the iodide ion concentration and the ionic mobility, which resulted in the highest conversion efficiency of the resulting DSSCs. The quasi-solid-state DSSC assembled with the optimized gel polymer electrolyte exhibited a relatively high conversion efficiency of 7.67% under AM 1.5 illumination at $100mA\;cm^{-2}$ and better stability than that of the DSSC with a liquid electrolyte.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.75.1-75.1
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• 2010

Dye sensitized solar cells(DSSCs) have been extensively studied due to their various advantages such as low production cost, colorful design, and eco-friendly process. Long optical path length is one of the most effective method to improve light harvest efficiency for DSSCs. Multi-layered $TiO_2$ nano-structured film with scattering layer has been studied to generate scattering effect by many researchers. It was expected that the difference of refractive index between $TiO_2$ particles and glass frit would generate the light scattering effect and provide the long optical path length. Therefore, to enhance the scattering effect, the frits of $Bi_2O_3-B_2O_3$-ZnO glass system that has the different refractive index were added to $TiO_2$ pastes in this study. First of all, the absorbance and haze factor of $TiO_2$ electrode with dyes and the refractive index of glass frit and $TiO_2$ were measured, respectively. To study the effect of frits, the efficiencies of DSSCs added glass frit and without glass frit were compared. Our results showed slightly higher efficiency with the different absorbance and haze factor of $TiO_2$ and glass frit. It was considered that the light scattering effect would be improved with adding frits to $TiO_2$ paste. Our preliminary studies will be useful for increasing efficiency of DSSCs.