In the conventional silicon solar cells that can be seen on the roofs of buildings, the lightfalls on one of the
Dye Sensitized Solarcells are generally not as efficient at converting light to electricity as their silicon counterparts. But they work in low light conditions, they can be transparent and flexible, so they are better for some designs. To fully exploit the benefits of DSSCs, the research project is looking for ways to improve their effectiveness.
In an article published in the journal Dyes andPigments, NTNU scientists have shown that adding a specific molecule to dyes can improve their light-trapping properties. What worked best was the addition of compounds containing thiophenes - molecules similar to benzene but containing sulfur.
A pigment that can improve the performance of solar cells. Credit: Wilde Broten.
In order to collect light, the dye must act as a donor acceptorBy adding something between a donor and an acceptor, chemists canIn the course of working on the project, the scientists figured out that increasing the amount of light captured by the dye does not mean that the solar cells will be able toTo put it simply, you can get more electrons, but they won't necessarily hitWhere you need to go.
Improving DSSC efficiency will eliminate the mainobstacle to their widespread use. The current highest efficiency is around 12%, compared to 20% for traditional commercial silicon solar cells.
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DSSC - dye-sensitized solar cell
An acceptor is an atom or group of atoms that accepts electrons and forms a chemical bond byits empty orbital and the donor's lone pair of electrons