ENGR 103 - Spring 2013 Freshman Engineering Design Lab Modifying Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells to Increase Efficiency Project

Design Proposal
Date Submitted: May 21, 2013

Submitted to: Group Members:

Christopher Weyant, chrisweyant@drexel.edu Jasmine George, jmg429@drexel.edu Michelle Lanshe, mal384@drexel.edu Valon Rama, vr333@drexel.edu Tessa Speicher, tls348@drexel.edu

Abstract: This project ultimately redesigned the current standard model for dye-sensitized solar cells. Green energy struggles to compete with more traditional and less environmentally-friendly forms of energy particularly with regards to cost. This project attempted to make renewable energy more competitive through three design aspects that increased the efficiency and viability of the current model. The projects main deliverable was the redesigned solar model along with experimental data and documentation to prove its new efficiency. The three major tasks of the project included exploring organic dyes, glass material, and catalyst efficiency to lower costs and increase efficiency. These three tasks were completed through experimentation to measure results against the controlled standard model. The experiments, along with all research and a final presentation, took place within a ten week time frame and a $120.55 budget. The budget consisted of the fruit for the dyes, a solar cell kit, and graphene platelets as a catalyst. The low budget was due in part because many of the materials can be borrowed or procured through Drexel facilities. This experiment required an additional background of scientific procedure, circuitry, chemistry, and the engineering design process which all group members must have possessed to meet the projects deadlines and deliverables.

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Introduction A dye sensitized solar cell is a simple cell on a thin film sheet containing a compound that

absorbs light. Its advantages are its simple design and low costs. It is also semi-flexible and semi-transparent which allows for a wider variety of uses [1]. There are four major components to a dye sensitized solar cell: an anode, cathode, photovoltaic material, and electrolyte. The anode is typically a transparent material such as glass to allow sunlight to reach the photovoltaic material. In between the anode and cathode is an oxide which creates a path for the electrons to flow. The oxide is coated with a light-absorbing dye to convert photons into electrons. An electrolyte, typically iodide, fills the gaps in between the oxide to replace any electron that is lost through oxidation. Lastly, the cathode, the other piece of conductive glass now graphite-coated, is at the end to complete the electrical circuit. 1.1 Problem Overview The global demand for energy is projected to double within the next two decades. The primary source of energy currently comes from fossil fuels. [2] These fossil fuels offer a very high efficiency but have many drawbacks. They require deep drilling into the earth to obtain, which can pose a major threat to the environment. Many drilling locations are in remote places requiring a high cost to drill and then transport the fossil fuels. This has triggered a global demand for cheaper, cleaner, and renewable energy sources. Cells using solar energy are believed to be the most cost-effective route as solar energy is a free and abundant energy source. Studies and research are focused on improving these green energy sources to improve their efficiency enough to overtake the prominence of fossil fuels. 1.2 Existing Solutions The anode and cathode typically consist of glass material because of their relative low cost, availability, and high transparency. In between is a photovoltaic substance that is an oxide semiconductor for the cell. There are a few different applicable oxide semiconductors such as TiO2, ZnO, SnO2, and Nb2O5. The most commonly used oxide is TiO2, or titanium dioxide because its cheap, non-toxic, and chemically stable. It is also highly resistant to photo-corrosion which was an issue from older prototypes of solar cells. The dyes that have yielded the best results possessed several carbonyl and hydroxyl groups. Dyes extracted from blackberries have 1

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proven to be an excellent dye for sensitization. Whereas, dyes extracted from strawberries are far less capable and inefficient. [3] Dye sensitized solar cells have been altered and improved quite rapidly. Collective efforts have increased the efficiency of the solar cells of up to 11%. Current modules are beginning to undergo commercialization. To expedite the commercialization, the current costs of creating the cell need to be reduced while maintaining the current levels of efficiency or even improving the overall efficiency of the solar cell. [2] 1.3 Project Objectives This projects main objective was to design a dye-sensitized solar cell with a lower cost and an increased efficiency through a few methods. The methods included exploring new dyes, glass material, and catalyst efficiency. The improvements were tested and compared to a standard model to monitor noticeable differences.

2 2.1

Technical Activities Dye Efficiency As the name suggests, dye plays a pivotal role in any dye-sensitized solar cell. This project

explored the efficiency of only natural dyes such as those from raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, pomegranate juice, and cherries. Natural dyes were chosen for their easy access and their low cost. Each dye was used to create a solar cell which was then tested against the original model. The efficiency was measured using a multimeter which measured electrical potential difference and current. The dye with the highest multimeter reading was used in the final design. Obtaining greater efficiency from a low cost, easily accessible material met the greater goal of this project in sustainable, competitive energy in todays markets. 2.2 Glass Material The glass used in the solar cell model must be transparent and conductive on one side. This project explored the effect of different types of glass in a method similar to the one described above for dye efficiency. Fluorine-doped Tin Oxide, FTO, and Indium Tin Oxide, ITO, were tested in this project. It was decided if the efficiency appeared unrelated to the type of glass used, the cheapest material would be used in order to meet the dual goal of cheap and clean energy.

ENGR-103 Freshman Final Report 2.3 Catalyst Efficiency

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As the energy from a dye-sensitized solar cell is based on a chemical equation, this project also explored how a catalyst might alter the reaction rate for improved efficiency. This task required the most research to find candidates for viable catalysts. The research showed that most catalysts were carbon based, so different forms of carbon were tested. The standard cell used a graphite pencil [4]. We bought graphene solution for testing. The catalyst was tested in the same fashion as the dye and glass experiments. Though repetitive, this process was simple, straightforward, and relatively cheap to perform multiple times. Ideally the experiment would yield a measurable difference allowing for us to further improve the dye-sensitized solar cell model. 2.4 Project Timeline
Week Task Research and Literature Study Standard Cell Testing Dye Testing Glass Composition Testing Catalyst Analysis Final Prototype Final Report Preparation Table 1: Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Project Timeline. 1 x 2 x 3 x 4 x x x x x x x x x x x x 5 6 7 8 9 10

2.5

Milestones The major milestones of this project include testing the standard cell, the four technical

activities, and testing the final prototype. The standard cell was tested on May 1th, during Week 5 of lab. The first technical task, testing the dyes, was completed on May 12th. The glass material will be tested during Week 8 while the catalyst analysis will be finalized in Week 9, the 30th of May. The testing of the final prototype will also be finished by Week 9 or May 30th.

ENGR-103 Freshman Final Report 2.6 Project Budget Category Nanocrystalline Solar Cell Kit [5] Organic Dyes [6] Graphene Platelets [7] TOTAL

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Projected Cost $50.00 $21.95 $48.60 $120.55

Table 2: Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Project Budget.

2.7

Nanocrystalline Solar Cell Kit A nanocrystalline solar cell kit was purchased to provide the basic supplies necessary to

build the standard dye-sensitized solar cell. The kit came with a potentiometer, graphite pencil, copper tape, binder clips, dropper bottle, transparent slides, titanium dioxide powder, and iodine electrolyte solution. There were enough materials to make five solar cells, which were used to measure the new designs against. 2.8 Organic Dyes Organic dyes refer to the natural dyes that will replace the current dye used in production of dye-sensitized solar cells. Different organic dyes were tested in the solar cells. The most efficient dye, blackberry dye, will be used in production of creating more effective dyesensitized solar cells. 2.9 Graphene Platelets Graphene platelets refer to the catalyst that will be added into the current production of dyesensitized solar cells. The carbon-based catalyst will hopefully increase the reaction rate and improve efficiency.

Results As of now, there are only results for the testing of different dyes for the dye-sensitized solar

cells and how they increased efficiency. During Week Five, the first standard dye-sensitized solar cell with raspberry dye as the coating was constructed. There was difficulty in testing the 4

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cell due to an error during the cells construction. The conductive, graphite coated glass was positioned opposing the dye-stained glass. After the mistake was recognized, flipping the glass to get a reading proved to be unsuccessful. With the iodine electrolyte on the surface, a stable reading was not achieved; in fact, there was no reading for current. Now, familiarized with the process of making a dye-sensitized solar cell, the standard dye-sensitized solar cell was reconstructed and then tested. Afterwards, more cells were constructed with the dye as the only changing factor. Aside from the raspberry dye used to construct the standard cell, the dye from blueberries, blackberries, pomegranate juice, and cherries were tested. All readings were taken using a multimeter with the halogen lamp at the light setting 17800 Lux. The blackberries proved to be the most efficient dye with a reading of 212 mV and 12.4 A. Then there were raspberries with 205 mV and 7.6 A, and blueberries with 140 mV and 5.1 A. The cherry dye produced a reading of 119 mV and 1.8 A. Finally, the pomegranate juice was the least efficient of the dyes tested with a reading of 54 mV and 2.5 A.

Future Work The success of this experiment paves way for further investigation on the various parts of

the solar cell. As a relatively unappreciated method of converting solar energy into a viable energy source, the dye-sensitized solar cell still requires much development. This experiment made attempts to improve the solar cell from multiple angles, all of which yielded positive results towards the possibility of improvement. Yet limited resources and even more limited time leave the project at a standstill. Future progress would be not only possible, but inevitable if the project continued in some manner. For one, the matter of the usage of dyes could be further investigated. Research revealed that certain berries juices worked well for dye-sensitized solar cells due to the presence of a water soluble pigment known as anthocyanin [8]. Removing all other substances in the fruit dyes and extracting just the anthocyanin could improve the viability of the solar cell. Similarly, research could be done to find substances similar to anthocyanin. It is also possible that a water soluble pigment can be synthesized. If so, these substances could be altered to work better than anthocyanin in facilitating the solar energy conversion.

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Glass also plays a vital role in the creation of the dye-sensitized solar cell. That being said, glass has its limitations. While glass permits a considerable amount of light through, it also absorbs and reflects many light frequencies, both visible and invisible. This has to do with the iron content in the glass, and this restricts the amount of sun energy that reaches the dye. Discovering a conductive glass with an incredible optical transparency would be the next step in refining the dye sensitized solar cell. While indium tin oxide glass continues readily available for use, there are certainly other types of glass that would benefit this experiment. Catalysts proved to be a struggle to purchase, due mainly to their expensive prices. Better funding would allow the purchasing of higher grade carbon nanoplatelets or refined graphene. In a similar vein, it would also allow research to be conducted into why carbon based catalysts have proven so effective or if there are other materials that would be more effective as catalysts. Investigation into titanium paste could also take place. For maximum efficiency, the paste must be applied thinly and evenly across the glass. While applying the titanium paste by hand proved useful, it was neither efficient nor consistent. Creating a perfect application method could possibly increase the overall efficiency of the dye-sensitized solar cell. As of right now, the dye-sensitized solar cells are far from ready for commercial use. They produce little charge or current, and they seem incredibly flimsy. When compared to the largely viable silicon based solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells seem irrelevant. They require much refining, improving, and redesigning before this method of solar energy conversion can start making its mark.

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References [1] What is a dye sensitized solar cell? Internet: http://www.azonano.com/article.aspx? ArticleID=3175. [May 17, 2013]. [2] O'Regan, B.; Gratzel, M., A low-cost, high-efficiency solar cell based on dye sensitized colloidal TiO2 films. Nature 1991, 353, (6346), 737-740. [3] Khalil Ebrahim Jasim (2011). Dye Sensitized Solar Cells - Working Principles, Challenges and Opportunities, Solar Cells - Dye-Sensitized Devices, Prof. Leonid A. Kosyachenko (Ed.), ISBN: 978-953-307-735-2, InTech, Available from: http://www.intechopen.com/books/solar-cells-dye-sensitized-devices/dye-sensitizedsolar-cellsworking-principles-challenges-and-opportunities [4] Sung Uk Lee et al., A Comparative Study of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Added Carbon Nanotubes to Electrolyte and Counter Electrodes in Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, vol. 94, 2010, pp. 680-685 [5] Institute for Chemical Education. Internet: http://ice.chem.wisc.edu/REU.html. [April 7, 2013] [6] ShopRite. Internet: http://shop.mywebgrocer.com/Shop.aspx?strid=D6243355. [April 7, 2013]. [7] Iolitec. Internet: http://www.iolitec-usa.com/Nanotech-Coatings/graphene.html. [May 17, 2013]. [8] Buraidah, M. H., and L. P. Teo. "TiO2/Chitosan-NH4I(+I2)-BMII-BasedDye-Sensitized Solar Cells with Anthocyanin Dyes Extracted from Black Rice and Red Cabbage." International Journal of Photoenergy 2011 (2011): n. pag. Hindawi Publishing Corporation. Web. 20 May 2013.