Enhanced photovoltaic performance of quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells via incorporating quaternized ammonium iodide-containing conjugated polymer into PEO gel electrolytes
(817-829) Colloid and Polymer Science 289 #7 (2011)
Lee et al prepared a series of gel electrolytes prepared from blends of alternating conjugated polymer electrolytes (CPEs)/poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) were developed for use in quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs).  The alternating CPEs poly[(N-(3′-((N,N-dimethyl)-N-ethylammonium)propyl)-3,6-carbazole)-alt-(9,9-dioctyl-2,7-fluorene)]diiodide, poly[(N-(3′-((N,N-dimethyl)-N-ethylammonium)propyl)-3,6-carbazole)-alt-(9,9-bis(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl)-2,7-fluorene)]diiodide (MPCFO-E), and poly[(N-(3′-((N,N-dimethyl)-N-ethylammonium)propyl)-3,6-carbazole)-alt-(siloxane substituted-2,7-fluorene)]diiodide (MPCFS-E) were synthesized through copolymerization of carbazole units (featuring quaternized ammonium iodide groups) and fluorene units featuring flexible side chains (9,9-dioctylfluorene, ethylene oxide-substituted fluorene, and siloxane-substituted fluorene, respectively).  The MPCFO-E/PEO-based and MPCFS-E/PEO-based DSSCs exhibited lower electrochemical resistances, superior photovoltaic (PV) properties, and improved PV stabilities relative to those of the corresponding PEO-based DSSC. Among the studied systems, the DSSC based on the MPCFO-E (0.5 wt.%)/PEO blend electrolyte exhibited the best PV performance, with a short current density of 4.97 mA cm−2 and a photoenergy conversion efficiency of 1.17%.  (RDC 5/17/2011)

Quasi-solid state dye-sensitized solar cells based on the cross-linked poly(ethylene glycol) electrolyte with tetraethoxysilane
(1752–1757)Journal of Applied Polymer  Science 120 #3 (2011)
Li et al of Xuchang University and Huaqiao University, China used cross-linked PEG-1000 as polymer host, 0.60 M KI and 0.06 M I2 as ionic conductors, an ionic conductivity of the polymer electrolyte was achieved 3.12 mS cm−1. Based on the optimized cross-linked PEG electrolyte, the best result of the quasi-solid state dye-sensitized solar cell (QS-DSSC) was the short-circuit photocurrent of 11.87 mA cm−2, the open-circuit photovoltage of 706 mV, the fill factor of 0.593 and the light-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 4.97% at 100 mW cm−2.  (RDC 2/16/2011)