Quasi Solid-State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Incorporating Highly Conducting Polythiophene-Coated Carbon Nanotube Composites in Ionic Liquid

Abstract EN

Conducting polythiophene (PTh) composites with the host filler multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) have been used, for the first time, in the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs).

A quasi solid-state DSCs with the hybrid MWNT-PTh composites, an ionic liquid of 1-methyl-3-propyl imidazolium iodide (PMII), was placed between the dye-sensitized porous TiO2 and the Pt counter electrode without adding iodine and higher cell efficiency (4.76%) was achieved, as compared to that containing bare PMII (0.29%).

The MWNT-PTh nanoparticles are exploited as the extended electron transfer materials and serve simultaneously as catalyst for the electrochemical reduction of I3 −.