High-efficient and low-cost dye-sensitized solar cells based on copper

TIn the context of the energy crisis, the project is aimed to design, build, test and implementation of highly efficient and low-cost p-type dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) standalone prototyping based only on copper, as a technically and economically credible alternative concept to present day conventional p–n junction photovoltaic devices. Until recently, much of the research has been focused on n-type DSSCs. Comparatively few studies have examined a p-type DSSCs, even if the study of this cell is important both to understand the factors that control the conversion efficiencies and to aid the rational design of efficient DSSC. For first time, the HELC DSC project proposes the implementation of new concept for p-type DSSCs, highly efficient and low-cost p-type dye-sensitized solar cells based on copper oxide (Cu2O and CuO) for both electrodes, photocathode (using copper foil as flexible substrate and copper oxide thin film) and counter electrode (copper oxide thin film on FTO). Based on our experience (experimental and theoretical results) accumulated in p-DSSC domain, the concept proposed by the HELC DSC project was building on the solutions aims to accomplish 2 main characteristics of p-DSSC: (i) low-cost production by using Cu and Cu2O/CuO for photocathode, replacing Pt with copper oxide for counter-electrode, the use of the hydrothermal method for the synthesis of both electrodes, low-cost dye and electrolyte; (ii) highly efficienciences by maximizing the short circuit photocurrent density (JSC>7 mA/cm2), the open-circuit photovoltage (VOC >400mV) and the fill factor (ff >0.4). The HELC DSC project will provide the highly efficient and low-cost p-type DSSC prototyping as an alternative economic for market implementation and the new solution for development of the tandem DSSCs.