The development of flexible photoanodes using composite semiconducting materials

Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC), are a device capable of generating electricity using the light from the sun. A traditional DSSC is formed by an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte, each component with an essential purpose in the overall functioning mechanism.
Special attention will be paid to the anode, its components, and modifications in the herein project. The anode is usually formed by a glass slide coated with a thin semiconducting oxide material as the substrate. Then titanium dioxide nanoparticles are deposited onto that substrate and modified with the desired dye. However, employing glass-supported templates restricts the use of the DSSCs in surfaces like windows and indoor surfaces. At the same time, the utilization of flexible (polymeric substrates) renders an enormous challenge in generating a well-connected matrix (due to low-temperature treatment). The present proposal is designed to fill the gap in modern research regarding using flexible substrates to construct the appropriate anode. Using different additives like metallic and carbon-based nanoparticles, graphene, and graphene derivates in the titania spherical particles or in the titania nanotube matrix, while upgrading the coating technique on the flexible material, a wide variety of materials and knowledge will be generated. In this sense, the goal is to create a synergistic effect in which, using different mechanisms, the final cell will have greater stability, lower cost, and, if possible, a higher efficiency.

Faculty Supervisor:

Robert (Rob) Gossage

Student:

Partner:

Koivisto Materials Consulting Inc

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Toronto Metropolitan University

Program: