Effect of Water on the Photovoltaic Performance of TiO2 Based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Using I−/I3− Redox Couple

Abstract

Water based dye-sensitized solar cells have emerged as a promising environmentally compatible device, combining low costs, reduced volatility, non-toxicity, and non-flammability with appreciable efficiency. Here we report a new simple method for TiO2 electrode fabrication and the influence of water in different proportion in the I-/I3- redox couple-based electrolytes on the photovoltaic performances of the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) - using two organic dyes, especially on the enhancement of the fill factor (FF). The materials and DSSCs along with the effect of the water content in the electrolyte were characterized from the structural, optical, photovoltaic, and electrochemical viewpoints.