Surface Engineering Solid State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
Lead Research Organisation:
Swansea University
Department Name: College of Engineering
Abstract
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC) can be described as a form of "artificial photosynthesis" because, in both cases, light is harvested by a pigment (chlorophyll in photosynthesis or a synthetic dye in DSC). This is interesting because photosynthesis is ~5% efficient in terms of the incident light energy (i.e. photons) captured to the energy in the photosynthetic by-products. Despite this apparently low efficiency, photosynthesis has supported the planet's biosphere for aeons. One reason for this is the huge amount of sunlight which reaches the Earth's surface every day. This has been estimated to be ~6,000x more than annual global energy consumption despite the growing global population using huge amounts of energy. Given that the sun will last for billions more years, sunlight is vastly more abundant than any other energy source currently available. In this context, if we use 10% efficient PV, using only 0.2% of the Earth's surface would meet energy demands whilst releasing only trace greenhouse gases during production and none during operation. This will slow the accelerating pace of fossil fuel related climate change.
Whilst PV uptake has increased hugely recently (~11GW in UK and >225GW globally), this still represents a tiny fraction of current energy demand; the question is why? Crystalline Si PV currently dominates the market (~90%) but is heavy, rigid and is usually made from batch-like processes into limited product forms (rectangular, encapsulated, glass panels). And despite these products being available for many years, they are still bolted onto frames attached onto existing roofs with wires often running across open roof-space. They do not fit, they are a "bolt-on" solution.
This research will develop PV which can be printed by continuous (roll-to-roll, R2R) processing. Because R2R is faster than batch processing, it will reduce manufacturing costs but increase the amount of product which can be made. R2R product can also be made to any length or width which will revolutionise PV product form. Perhaps most importantly, by varying the PV substrate, this will enable PV to be fully integrated into roof/wall panels or windows. This will drastically reduce installation and balance of systems costs (i.e. PV panel mounting system, DC/AC power inverters, wiring, switches, battery storage) which make up almost half of the cost of most PV installations.
DSC technology is already in commercial production (www.gcell.co.uk) and is already known to be suitable for R2R processing. In addition, DSC raw materials are non-toxic and abundant. Whilst DSC device lifetimes >25,000h have been reported (equivalent to ~25y operation), the liquid electrolytes used can leak and are corrosive to some metals which increases substrate costs. This proposal will exchange this liquid electrolyte for a solid, charge carrier to make solid state DSC (ssDSC) devices to avoid these issues.
Whilst ssDSC have been made before, it has been difficult to control their construction because this involves depositing 2 thin layers of different chemicals onto porous metal oxide particles in a porous film. The resulting inconsistent layer coverage causes energy losses which limits device efficiency. To overcome this, we will use self-assembling molecules and computer modelling to explore surface chemistry/structure to speed-up the research. Thus, we will design dyes and charge carriers to behave like "self-parking cars in a car park" and move to the correct position before fixing themselves in place. Then, by controlling the self-assembly process, we will add multiple dyes into the device to increase light harvesting to improve device efficiency to reduce pay-back times; i.e. the time when the customer has saved enough money on their energy bills to pay off the system purchase costs. By combining computer modelling and experiment, we will cut design to manufacture times up to 10-fold by reducing the number of material modification cycles required.
Whilst PV uptake has increased hugely recently (~11GW in UK and >225GW globally), this still represents a tiny fraction of current energy demand; the question is why? Crystalline Si PV currently dominates the market (~90%) but is heavy, rigid and is usually made from batch-like processes into limited product forms (rectangular, encapsulated, glass panels). And despite these products being available for many years, they are still bolted onto frames attached onto existing roofs with wires often running across open roof-space. They do not fit, they are a "bolt-on" solution.
This research will develop PV which can be printed by continuous (roll-to-roll, R2R) processing. Because R2R is faster than batch processing, it will reduce manufacturing costs but increase the amount of product which can be made. R2R product can also be made to any length or width which will revolutionise PV product form. Perhaps most importantly, by varying the PV substrate, this will enable PV to be fully integrated into roof/wall panels or windows. This will drastically reduce installation and balance of systems costs (i.e. PV panel mounting system, DC/AC power inverters, wiring, switches, battery storage) which make up almost half of the cost of most PV installations.
DSC technology is already in commercial production (www.gcell.co.uk) and is already known to be suitable for R2R processing. In addition, DSC raw materials are non-toxic and abundant. Whilst DSC device lifetimes >25,000h have been reported (equivalent to ~25y operation), the liquid electrolytes used can leak and are corrosive to some metals which increases substrate costs. This proposal will exchange this liquid electrolyte for a solid, charge carrier to make solid state DSC (ssDSC) devices to avoid these issues.
Whilst ssDSC have been made before, it has been difficult to control their construction because this involves depositing 2 thin layers of different chemicals onto porous metal oxide particles in a porous film. The resulting inconsistent layer coverage causes energy losses which limits device efficiency. To overcome this, we will use self-assembling molecules and computer modelling to explore surface chemistry/structure to speed-up the research. Thus, we will design dyes and charge carriers to behave like "self-parking cars in a car park" and move to the correct position before fixing themselves in place. Then, by controlling the self-assembly process, we will add multiple dyes into the device to increase light harvesting to improve device efficiency to reduce pay-back times; i.e. the time when the customer has saved enough money on their energy bills to pay off the system purchase costs. By combining computer modelling and experiment, we will cut design to manufacture times up to 10-fold by reducing the number of material modification cycles required.
Planned Impact
1. The proposal will deliver a step-change in solid state DSC (ssDSC) efficiency and lifetime using scalable technology which is compatible with roll-to-roll manufacturing to enable the potential for large scale ssDSC module manufacturing.
2. The research will develop generic methods to self-assemble bespoke electronic materials at interfaces by solution processing which will be widely applicable to other advanced devices (e.g. sensors, disease control, catalysis).
3. The proposal will provide a case study of iterative research between theoretical scientists, synthetic chemists, materials scientists and engineers which covers the technology development pipeline from TRL1 (concept) to TRL7 (operational testing of scaled prototype).
4. Using accelerated weathering protocols to compress the duration of PV testing, the research will expand our understanding of device failure mechanisms and improve device lifetime mitigation strategies. The aim is to extend ssDSC performance under indoor exposure (target is Power Conversion Efficiency, PCE >80% of initial value after 5y) or outdoor exposure (target is PCE > 80% of initial value after 20y).
5. The research will generate high impact journal publications (e.g. Nature, Advanced Materials, Energy and Environmental Science) and be presented at international conferences (e.g. MRS, ACS, EU-PVSEC).
6. The project will generate highly trained and inter-disciplinary scientists and engineers to support the growing PV and advanced materials industry.
7. By developing a new PV manufacturing technology in the UK, the research will generate significant wealth and create jobs. For example, the European PV Industry Association has estimated that PV manufacturing creates 3-7 direct jobs in production and 12 to 20 indirect jobs per MWp.
8. The proposal will help deliver UK Govt. targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to < 80% of the 1990 value by 2050 including work on building integrated PV (BIPV) to help deliver DECC policy of "buildings as powers stations".
9. By developing scaled renewable energy technology to reduce fossil fuel usage and greenhouse gas emissions, the proposed research will improve global health and quality of life by addressing climate change.
10. The impact of the project will be disseminated to a wider society through public events such as STFC Daresbury Open Days (see e.g. from July 2016 http://www.stfc.ac.uk/public-engagement/see-the-science/daresbury-open-week/chemistry-workshop-solar-cell-results/) and the Swansea-led Materials Live project to coordinate impact activities from schools engagement to the production of lab demonstrator systems for public showcase.
11. The proposal will generate intellectual property (IP) and the Project Management Team will manage the exploitation of this IP through project partners, SPECIFIC IKC partners and/or new spin-out companies.
2. The research will develop generic methods to self-assemble bespoke electronic materials at interfaces by solution processing which will be widely applicable to other advanced devices (e.g. sensors, disease control, catalysis).
3. The proposal will provide a case study of iterative research between theoretical scientists, synthetic chemists, materials scientists and engineers which covers the technology development pipeline from TRL1 (concept) to TRL7 (operational testing of scaled prototype).
4. Using accelerated weathering protocols to compress the duration of PV testing, the research will expand our understanding of device failure mechanisms and improve device lifetime mitigation strategies. The aim is to extend ssDSC performance under indoor exposure (target is Power Conversion Efficiency, PCE >80% of initial value after 5y) or outdoor exposure (target is PCE > 80% of initial value after 20y).
5. The research will generate high impact journal publications (e.g. Nature, Advanced Materials, Energy and Environmental Science) and be presented at international conferences (e.g. MRS, ACS, EU-PVSEC).
6. The project will generate highly trained and inter-disciplinary scientists and engineers to support the growing PV and advanced materials industry.
7. By developing a new PV manufacturing technology in the UK, the research will generate significant wealth and create jobs. For example, the European PV Industry Association has estimated that PV manufacturing creates 3-7 direct jobs in production and 12 to 20 indirect jobs per MWp.
8. The proposal will help deliver UK Govt. targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to < 80% of the 1990 value by 2050 including work on building integrated PV (BIPV) to help deliver DECC policy of "buildings as powers stations".
9. By developing scaled renewable energy technology to reduce fossil fuel usage and greenhouse gas emissions, the proposed research will improve global health and quality of life by addressing climate change.
10. The impact of the project will be disseminated to a wider society through public events such as STFC Daresbury Open Days (see e.g. from July 2016 http://www.stfc.ac.uk/public-engagement/see-the-science/daresbury-open-week/chemistry-workshop-solar-cell-results/) and the Swansea-led Materials Live project to coordinate impact activities from schools engagement to the production of lab demonstrator systems for public showcase.
11. The proposal will generate intellectual property (IP) and the Project Management Team will manage the exploitation of this IP through project partners, SPECIFIC IKC partners and/or new spin-out companies.
Publications
![publication icon](/resources/img/placeholder-60x60.png)
Brady-Boyd A
(2023)
Investigating the Molecular Orientation and Thermal Stability of Spiro-OMeTAD and its Dopants by Near Edge X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure
in Advanced Physics Research
![publication icon](/resources/img/placeholder-60x60.png)
Cariello M
(2022)
Synthesis of SOT-OH and its application as a building block for the synthesis of new dimeric and trimeric Spiro-OMeTAD materials
in Molecular Systems Design & Engineering
![publication icon](/resources/img/placeholder-60x60.png)
Connell A
(2019)
Low cost triazatruxene hole transporting material for >20% efficiency perovskite solar cells
in Journal of Materials Chemistry C
![publication icon](/resources/img/placeholder-60x60.png)
Furnell L
(2017)
Digital imaging to simultaneously study device lifetimes of multiple dye-sensitized solar cells
in Sustainable Energy & Fuels
![publication icon](/resources/img/placeholder-60x60.png)
Holliman P
(2020)
Double Linker Triphenylamine Dyes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
in Energies
![publication icon](/resources/img/placeholder-60x60.png)
Holliman P
(2020)
Novel benzothiazole half-squaraines: model chromophores to study dye-TiO 2 interactions in dye-sensitized solar cells
in Journal of Materials Chemistry A
![publication icon](/resources/img/placeholder-60x60.png)
Holliman P
(2019)
Rapid, 5 min, low temperature aqueous platinization for plastic substrates for dye-sensitized solar cells
in Materials Letters: X
![publication icon](/resources/img/placeholder-60x60.png)
Holliman P
(2019)
Low temperature sintering of aqueous TiO2 colloids for flexible, co-sensitized dye-sensitized solar cells
in Materials Letters
![publication icon](/resources/img/placeholder-60x60.png)
Holliman PJ
(2018)
A perspective on using experiment and theory to identify design principles in dye-sensitized solar cells.
in Science and technology of advanced materials
![publication icon](/resources/img/placeholder-60x60.png)
Jones E
(2019)
Spectral response mapping of co-sensitized dye-sensitized solar cells dyed processed using rapid adsorption/desorption
in Materials Letters: X
Description | We are working on how molecules arrange themselves on surfaces to make more efficient solar harvesting devices. We have been able to link computational work with experimental data and to use this information to design better molecules which work together in tandem. Key findings to date include (i) design links between computational modelling and experiment, (ii) discovery of lower cost components (e.g. hole transport materials) which are as efficient as spiro-OMeTAD but at a fraction of the cost, (iii) low energy processing (e.g. low temperature sintering of metal oxide scaffolds and low temperature platinization of counter electrodes), (iv) device optimisation (e.g. controlled light harvesting with dye-perovskite combinations), (v) control of scaled manufacturing (e.g. spectral response mapping of co-sensitized devices), (vi) scaled stability testing and enhanced lifetimes (e.g. digital imaging/analysis), novel understanding of dye orientation on titania surfaces being horizontal rather than perpendicular to the surface. |
Exploitation Route | If the new molcules can be scaled, the concepts involved could be used in a wide range of electronic devices. The understanding of how molecules orient themselves at interfaces is very widely applicable. |
Sectors | Education,Electronics,Energy |
Description | We have run several outreach events to publicise the importance of solar energy in north and south Wales. These outreach events have included the widest possible age range of attendees; from toddlers to those >80 years old. We have also run outreach events with local schools including junior schools, upper schools and sixth form students. We also ran a series of events at a local college for adults with special educational needs. The college had never had a science curriculum before and we ran a series of events related to renewable energy. |
First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
Sector | Education,Energy |
Impact Types | Societal |
Description | Computational Chemistry: Solar Cell Materials |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Outreach workshop to 6th form students at STFC Daresbury open day event |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Designing and processing low cost materials to surface engineer solar cells |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
Results and Impact | Invited talk at conference which led to potential future collaboration |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Light and Renewable Energy |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Public outreach event delivered to retired ladies group |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Materials Characterisation Applied to Dye-sensitized and perovskite solar cells |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Lecture delivered to Research methods for solar PV I: Materials and Characterisation" at the SuperSolar' PV Hub meeting |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Optimising Solid State Dye-sensitized Solar Cell Devices by Self-assembly |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Conference presentation in Sweden attended by several companies leading to discussions on technology scale up |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Senses Activity Workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Full day hands-on workshop delivered to young adult students at special educational needs college |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Senses Activity Workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Full day science activity workshop for young adult special needs students delivered at Pengwern SEN College. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Studies of Dye Processing, Surface Interactions and Lifetimes for DSC Devices |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Research presentation to international conference |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Surface Engineering Dye Solar Cells |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Conference presentation in Rome leading to discussions with international colleagues interested in collaborating |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Surface engineering dye solar cell devices by self-assembly |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Conference presentation leading to discussions with new potential international collaborators |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Train the teachers - STEM event |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | We delivered a training event for teachers at a special educational needs college for young adults |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Train the teachers - STEM event |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Teachers workshop held at Pengwern Special Educational Needs College to support teachers ahead of outreach workshop with young adults with special needs who don't have access to a science curriculum. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Understanding and controlling electron transfer between sensitizer and electrolyte |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Research presentation at national conference (PVSAT - 2017) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |