High efficiency flexible fiber-type dye-sensitized solar cells with multi-working electrodes

Abstract Novel flexible fiber-type dye-sensitized solar cells (FF-DSSCs) with multi-working electrodes (MWFF-DSSCs) have been developed. In each MWFF-DSSC, all the components are assembled into a flexible plastic capillary tube. A Pt microwire along the axis of the tube is used as the sole counter electrode and a number of Ti microwires surrounding it, which are all covered with highly ordered titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotube arrays, are jointly used as the working electrodes. This new configuration brings about good flexibility, capability of harvesting light from all directions and a conversion efficiency competitive with those of the conventional DSSCs. The photovoltaic performances of the MWFF-DSSC with six working electrodes (MWFF-DSSC(6)) are better than those of the MWFF-DSSCs with two to five working electrodes (MWFF-DSSC(x), x=2, 3, 4, or 5) and the FF-DSSC with a single working electrode (SWFF-DSSC). When the as-prepared TiO2 nanotube arrays are used as the working electrodes, a 6.6% conversion efficiency is obtained from an MWFF-DSSC(6). When the TiO2 nanotube arrays are treated in the niobium isopropoxide solution, the conversion efficiency is further raised to 9.1% and only suffers a 6.6% relative decrease even under a 180° bending.

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