Role of a phenothiazine/phenoxazine donor in solid ionic conductors for efficient solid state dye sensitized solar cells

Abstract : Efficient electron donors, phenothiazine (PTZ)/phenoxazine (POZ) substituted imidazolium (IMI) and benzimidazolium (BIMI) iodide solid organic ionic conductors (SOICs) possessing good thermal stability and high conductivity are synthesized. The high conductivity arises due to the presence of the effective electron donor moiety PTZ/POZ and hence, these SOICs were used as single component solid electrolytes in solid state dye sensitized solar cells (ss-DSSCs). The ss-DSSC devices operate proficiently without any post-treatment to dye loaded TiO2 and additives in the electrolyte matrix. The presence of unsaturation and hetero-atoms in PTZ/POZ is responsible for the hole mobility and enhancement in light harvesting properties. Hence, when SOICs were excited along with a metal-free sensitizer, SK 1,the higher LUMO levels of SOICs increased the total electron injection in the TiO2 interface with the electrons of SK 1. Under illumination of solar light (100 mW cm−2 with an AM1.5G filter), ss-DSSCs with POZ substituted IMI and BIMI as single component solid electrolytes showed power conversion efficiency (PCE) of about 5.7%, which is quite comparable with the conventional imidazolium/benzimidazolium salt based liquid electrolytes and SK 1 sensitizer. The ss-DSSC devices with all four SOICs exhibit good long-term stability (∼1000 h) under 1 sun illumination and ambient humidity conditions. The present report paves the way for the development of single component solid organic ionic conductors having high electronic conductivity and better light harvesting ability as well as thermal stability.