Effect of single-chirality single-walled carbon nanotubes in dye sensitized solar cells photoanodes

01 Pubblicazione su rivista
Davis Victoria L., Quaranta Simone, Cavallo Carmen, Latini Alessandro, Gaspari Franco
ISSN: 0927-0248

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with photoanodes composed of chirality selected single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have been fabricated and tested for first time. Single chirality SWCNTs separation (93% purity) have been achieved by modifying standard size exclusion gel chromatography. Chirality selection has allowed for “tuning” of the energy barrier at the TiO2/SWNT/FTO interface, electronic conductivity enhancement, and reduced SWCNTs-ruthenium dye competition for light absorption resulting in a 81% energy conversion efficiency improvement compared to mixed chirality cells. Unfortunately, energy conversion efficiency has been limited by cells’ low shunt resistance. Additionally, SWCNTs electron transfer properties have been exploited to prepare mixed and chirality specific CNTs based DSSCs’ counter electrodes.

© Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza" - Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma