Room-Temperature Processable TiO 2 Solar Paint for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Anurag Roy (), Shubhranshu Bhandari () and Tithi Sen
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Anurag Roy: Solar Energy Research Group, Environment and Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, University of Exeter, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
Shubhranshu Bhandari: Solar Energy Research Group, Environment and Sustainability Institute, Penryn Campus, University of Exeter, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
Tithi Sen: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad 826004, India

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 24, 1-18

Abstract: Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have emerged as promising alternatives to traditional silicon photovoltaics owing to their environmentally friendly nature, easy preparation, and low cost. However, a critical bottleneck in DSSC fabrication lies in the high-temperature treatment required for the metal-oxide, primarily titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ), photoanode. This study presents an advanced approach aimed at overcoming this challenge by developing a facile and cost-effective room temperature processable TiO 2 paste for large-scale device production and commercialization. In our investigation, TiO 2 nanoparticles were synthesized using the sol-gel hydrothermal method. The resulting material served as the basis for a solar paint formulation, utilized as a precursor for the photoanode in tertiary butyl alcohol. Applying this paint, achieved with a simple paintbrush, eliminated the need for high-temperature curing, binders, and reduced chemical additives. This minimizes energy consumption during fabrication and enhances the interface quality and charge transport properties of the photoanode, as evidenced by photovoltaic impedance spectroscopy measurements.

Keywords: DSSC; photoanode; photovoltaic; solar paint; TiO 2 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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