Novel design for flexible quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells based on heat-resistant glass paper

Abstract

Paper-based electronics have obtained increasing attention as they offer benefits of light weight, flexibility, and low cost. In this work, heat-resistant borosilicate glass paper, showing extraordinary flexibility and being able to be treated at high temperature (ca. 500 °C), is used as the substrate for flexible dyesensitized solar cells (DSSCs) for the first time. High-quality photoanodes were prepared via a novel sequent filling method with the aid of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and ice layers, leading to smooth and continuous TiO2 film. A completely different device structure compared to the conventional design was also brought about, by taking advantage of using this photoanode as solid-state electrolyte supporter and being further connected with the counter-electrode. The prototype solar cell was successfully demonstrated for the first time, with a decent initiating photovoltaic performance, resulting in an efficiency of 0.85% (open-circuit voltage, Voc = 0.67V; shortcircuit current density, Jsc = 3.76mAcm-2; fill factor, FF = 0.34). This work provides a new prospective for fabricating flexible DSSCs, which successfully resolved the long-Term stability issues due to the incompatibility of high temperature sintering and front-side illumination existing in polymer and metal foils respectively. This extraordinary paper also shows potential for wide application as flexible substrate in other types of photovoltaics such as perovskite solar cells, which are currently being intensely investigated. Show more