Application and Discussion of Multi-type Gold Nanostructures Photocathodes in Cobalt-Based Electrolyte for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

• Main Authors: Shih-Hsuan Huang, 黃士璿
• Other Authors: Liang-Yih Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2019
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/2yyp5x

碩士 === 國立臺灣科技大學 === 化學工程系 === 107 === The engineering of broadband absorbers to harvest white light in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is a major challenge in developing renewable materials for energy harvesting. In this study, multi-type gold (Au) nanostructures are successfully attached to the FTO substrate using an adhesive to produce the gold electrode. The proposed approach for fabricating photocathode is demonstrated to be facile and cost-effective, as opposed to existing techniques. Compared with standard platinum (Pt) counter electrode which prepared by sputtering method, the multi-type Au nanostructures photocathode demonstrates significant increase of the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of a photoelectrochemical solar cell of 16% and higher catalytic activity with a cobalt-complex electrolyte. The increased efficiency is attributed to excellent electrical properties and the non-radiative hot electron effect due to the Landau damping upon decoherence of the localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) in the visible light region. Besides we use scaled computational Au (111) or (100) planes with the cobalt II/III redox mediators ([Co(bpy)3]2+/3+) adsorption ability at level of theory show this computation result is consistent with the experimental values. Furthermore, the advantage of the electrochemical deposition process which does not require an elevation of temperature that enables scaled-up production of this nanostructures for large-scale and flexible energy-harvesting applications.