• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.26 no.8
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• pp.608-613
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• 2013

In this paper, the low-temperature sintering of $TiO_2$ is approached to solve the problem of high temperature sintering which decreases the interconnection between particles or between substrate and particle. $TiO_2$ paste is prepared with Titanium (IV) isopropoxide as the precursor material and calcinate at different conditions (low temperature). In the results, since the changing of temperature and time of sintering, crystalline phase do not change and the intensities of anatase, rutile phase are higher. At $110^{\circ}C$, 7 h sintering condition, crystalline size of anatase and rutile phase are the smallest which are 13.07 and 17.47 nm, respectively. In addition, the highest zeta potential is about 32.77 mV and the repulsive force increases thus leading to the best of the dispersion characteristics between $TiO_2$ particles. Futhermore, DSSCs at that condition exhibits the highest efficiency with the values of $V_{oc}$, $J_{sc}$, FF and ${\eta}$ are 0.69 V, $8.60mA\;cm^{-2}$, 67.93% and 4.06%, respectively.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.spc8
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• pp.3081-3089
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• 2011

A series of new bis-thienylanthracene derivatives D1~D5 containing 9,10-antharcene moiety in the center and 2-methylenemalonotitrile or 2-cyanoacrylic acid functional group on the terminal thiophenes were synthesized and characterized by $^1H$-NMR and high-resolution mass spectroscopy. Their optical, electrochemical, and thermal properties were measured. They have absorption ${\lambda}_{max}$ in the range of 437~480 nm and max of $7.4{\times}10^3{\sim}2.0{\times}10^4M^{-1}cm^{-1}$. The substitution of 2-cyanoacrylic acid group allows greater value of ${\varepsilon}_{max}$ than that of 2-methylenemalonotitrile. TGA curves showed that D4 and D5 which have 2-cyanoacrylic acid functional group on the terminal thiophene(s) exhibit good thermal stability and D4 was thermally stable up to $400^{\circ}C$. Their optical properties and LUMO energy levels measured suggest that they can serve as potential candidates for electron donor materials of organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) or D4 and D5 which contain 2-cyanoacrylic acid group can be used as organic dyes of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs).

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.64.1-64.1
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• 2010

The morphology of mesoporous $TiO_2$ films plays an important role in the operation of a DSSC. For example, the energy conversion efficiency of DSSCs with well-organized mesoporous $TiO_2$ films is much higher than those with traditional films possessing a random morphology. In previous research, well-organized mesoporous $TiO_2$ films have mainly been synthesized using an amphiphilic block copolymer, e.g., a poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based template. A graft copolymer is more attractive than a block copolymer due to its low cost and the ease with which it can be synthesized. In this work, we provide the first report on the successful synthesis of well-organized mesoporous $TiO_2$ films templated by an organized graft copolymer as a structure directing agent. Well-organized mesoporous $TiO_2$ films with excellent channel connectivities were developed via the sol gel processusing an organized PVC-g-POEM graft copolymer synthesized by one-pot ATRP. The careful adjustment of copolymer composition and solvent affinity using a THF/$H_2O$/HCl mixture was used to systematically vary the material structure. The influence of the material structure on solar cell performance was then investigated. A solid-state DSSC employing both the graft copolymer templated organized 700 nm-thick $TiO_2$ films and graft copolymer electrolytes exhibited a solar conversion efficiency of 2.2% at 100 $mW/cm^2$. This value was approximately two-fold higher than that attained from a DSSC employing a random mesoporous $TiO_2$ film. The solar cell performance was maximized at 4.6% when the film thickness was increased to $2.5{\mu}m$. We believe that this graft copolymer-directed approach introduces a new and simple route toward the synthesis of well-organized metal oxide films as an alternative to a conventional block copolymer-based template.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.620-625
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• 2012

The sol-gel method has been widely used to synthesize the $TiO_2$ for dye sensitized solar cells and has advantages of easily fabrication process, controlling the $TiO_2$ phase and getting transparent thin-film composed of the $TiO_2$. In this paper, we synthesized the crystalline $TiO_2$ by sol-gel method controlled by the quantity ratio of Nitric acid and Ammonium hydroxide additives. The best efficiency result was obtained by 0.05 M Ammonium hydroxide and that results of Voc, Jsc, FF, and efficiency were 0.68 V, 3.28 mA/$cm_2$, 58.14 and 5.21%, respectively.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.56-63
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• 2011

Recently, $TiO_2$ nanotubes have considerably researched because of their novel application about photocatalysis, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), lithium ion battery, etc. In this work, self-standing $TiO_2$ nanotube arrays were fabricated by anodic oxidation method using pure Ti foil as a working electrode in ethylene glycole with 0.3M $NH_4F$ + $2%H_2O$. Growth behavior of $TiO_2$ nanotube arrays was compared according to temperature, voltage and time. The morphology, structure and crystalline of anodized $TiO_2$ nanotube arrays were observed by FE-SEM (field emission scanning electron microscope) and XRD (X-ray diffraction).

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2011.08a
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• pp.175-175
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• 2011

최근 석유 자원의 고갈로 인하여 요구되는 대체 에너지 개발의 필요성이 대두되고 있다. 그중 태양에너지는 지구의 생명체가 살아가는 에너지의 근원으로서 매초 800~1,000 W에 달하는 에너지양으로 볼 때 태양은 인류가 가장 풍부하게 활용할 수 있는 에너지원이다. 태양에너지를 이용한 염료감응형 태양전지(Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, DSSCs)는 제조원가를 낮출 수 있고, 유리 전극을 이용한 투명한 태양전지를 제조할 수 있어 건물의 유리창등으로 응용할 수 있는 장점이있다. 이러한 광변환 효율을 증가시키기 위한 방법으로 전기방사 TiO2 Nanofiber를 기계적으로 갈아서 제조한 TiO2 Nanorod 와 TiO2 Nanoparticle를 섞어서 만든 paste를 이용하여 넓은 표면적과 빠른 전자수송도를 갖게 하였고, 흡착된 염료에서 발생되는 광전자가 전해질의 산화, 환원되는 요오드 이온(I-/I3-)과의 재결합(recombination)현상을 TiO2 전극 위에 높은 밴드갭(band-gap)을 가지는 Al2O3 박막을 TriMethylAluminium (TMA) 전구체를 이용한 원자층 증착(Atomic Layer Deposition, ALD) 공정을 사용하여 진공증착 통해 광전변환효율이 떨어지는 현상을 방지하여 효율을 높였다.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.313-320
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• 2019

In this study, cobalt diselenide ($CoSe_2$) and the composites ($CoSe_2@RGO$) of $CoSe_2$ and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal reaction using cobalt ions and selenide source with or without graphene oxide (GO). The formation of $CoSe_2@RGO$ composites was identified by analysis with X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Electrochemical analyses demonstrated that the $CoSe_2@RGO$ composites have excellent catalytic activity for the reduction of $I_3{^-}$, possibly indicating a synergetic effect of $CoSe_2$ and RGO. As a consequence, the $CoSe_2@RGO$ composites were applied as a counter electrode in DSSC for the reduction of redox couple electrolyte, and exhibiting the comparable power conversion efficiency (7.01%) to the rare metal platinum (Pt) based photovoltaic device (6.77%).

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2016.02a
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• pp.412-412
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• 2016

염료감응 태양전지(dye-sensitized solar cells, DSSCs)는 식물의 광합성원리와 매우 유사한 작동원리를 갖고 있는 전지이며, 간단한 구조, 저렴한 제조단가, 친환경성 등의 등의 장점으로 인하여 많은 관심을 모으고 있다. 이러한 염료감응 태양전지는 빛을 받아들인 염료분자가 전자-홀 쌍을 생성하며 전자는 반도체 산화물을 통해 이동되고 전해질의 산화환원 과정을 통해 염료 분자가 다시 환원되는 순환메커니즘을 따르고 있다. 일반적으로 염료감응 태양전지는 밴드 갭 에너지가 큰 반도체 산화물을 포함하는 작업전극, 산화환원 반응을 통해 전자를 염료로 보내는 전해질, 환원 촉매역할을 하는 상대전극으로 구성되어 있다. 특히, 상대전극으로는 우수한 촉매특성과 높은 전도성을 갖는 백금이 가장 많이 이용되고 있지만 가격이 비싸고 요오드에 취약하기 때문에 상용화에 큰 장애물이다. 따라서, 백금을 대체하기 위해 저가의 탄소나 고분자에 대한 연구가 활발히 진행되고 있고, 그 중 탄소나노섬유(carbon nanofiber, CNFs)는 높은 표면적과 뛰어난 화학적 안정성으로 촉매효율을 증대시킬 수 있어 촉매물질로서 관심이 높아지고 있다. 본 연구에서는 상대전극에 탄소나노섬유기반 복합체를 합성하였고, 성공적으로 저가격 및 고성능의 염료감응 태양전지를 제작하였다. 이때, 지지체인 탄소나노섬유는 전기방사법을 통해 합성하였으며, 수열합성법을 이용하여 금속산화물을 담지하였다. 이렇게 제작된 탄소나노섬유-Fe2O3 복합체는 scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, 그리고 X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy 통해 구조적, 화학적 특성을 평가하였으며 전기화학적 특성 및 광전변환 효율을 분석하기 위해 cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, 그리고 solar simulator를 사용하였다. 본 학회에서 위와 관련된 더 자세한 사항에 대해 논의할 것이다.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1-7
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• 2017

Cobalt silicide was used as a counter electrode in order to confirm its reliability in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) devices. 100 nm-Co/300 nm-Si/quartz was formed by an evaporator and cobalt silicide was formed by vacuum heat treatment at $700^{\circ}C$ for 60 min to form approximately 350 nm-CoSi. This process was followed by etching in $80^{\circ}C$-30% $H_2SO_4$ to remove the cobalt residue on the cobalt silicide surface. Also, for the comparison against Pt, we prepared a 100 nm-Pt/glass counter electrode. Cobalt silicide was used for the counter electrode in order to confirm its reliability in DSSC devices and maintained for 0, 168, 336, 504, 672, and 840 hours at $80^{\circ}C$. The photovoltaic properties of the DSSCs employing cobalt silicide were confirmed by using a simulator and potentiostat. Cyclic-voltammetry, field emission scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectrometry analyses were used to confirm the catalytic activity, microstructure, and composition, respectively. The energy conversion efficiency (ECE) as a function of time and ECE of the DSSC with Pt and CoSi counter electrodes were maintained for 504 hours. However, after 672 hours, the ECEs decreased to a half of their initial values. The results of the catalytic activity analysis showed that the catalytic activities of the Pt and CoSi counter electrodes decreased to 64% and 57% of their initial values, respectively(after 840 hours). The microstructure analysis showed that the CoSi layer improved the durability in the electrolyte, but because the stress concentrates on the contact surface between the lower quartz substrate and the CoSi layer, cracks are formed locally and flaking occurs. Thus, deterioration occurs due to the residual stress built up during the silicidation of the CoSi counter electrode, so it is necessary to take measures against these residual stresses, in order to ensure the reliability of the electrode.

• Clean Technology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.306-313
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• 2014

Nanoporous $TiO_2$ films are commonly used as working electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). So far, there have been attempts to synthesize films with various $TiO_2$ nanostructures to increase the power-conversion efficiency. In this work, vertically aligned rutile $TiO_2$ nanorods were grown on fluorinated tin oxide (FTO) glass by hydrothermal synthesis, followed by deposition of an anatase $TiO_2$ film. This new method of anatase $TiO_2$ growth avoided the use of a seed layer that is usually required in hydrothermal synthesis of $TiO_2$ electrodes. The dense anatase $TiO_2$ layer was designed to behave as the electron-generating layer, while the less dense rutile nanorods acted as electron-transfer pathwaysto the FTO glass. In order to facilitate the electron transfer, the rutile phase nanorods were treated with a $TiCl_4$ solution so that the nanorods were coated with the anatase $TiO_2$ film after heat treatment. Compared to the electrode consisting of only rutile $TiO_2$, the power-conversion efficiency of the rutile-anatase hybrid $TiO_2$ electrode was found to be much higher. The total thickness of the rutile-anatase hybrid $TiO_2$ structures were around $4.5-5.0{\mu}m$, and the highest power efficiency of the cell assembled with the structured $TiO_2$ electrode was around 3.94%.