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Dye-sensitized Solar Cells Using Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene)- Methyl-3-Propylimidazolium Iodide-Sodium Iodide (PVDF-TrFE-MPII-NaI) Gel Polymer Electrolyte
1IMEN, UKM, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
2Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
3Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
4Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA Pahang, Bandar Tun Abdul Razak Jengka, Pahang, Malaysia
*Email Address : mohd.yusri@ukm.my
Abstract : This study examines how varying concentrations of N719 dye (ranging from 0.1 mM to 0.6 mM) affect the J-V characteristics of DSSCs employing poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene)-methyl-3-propylimidazolium iodide-sodium iodide (PVDF-TrFE-MPII-NaI) gel polymer electrolyte under both dark and illuminated conditions. The results from the illuminated J-V curves show that the device incorporating 0.3 mM dye achieved the highest power conversion efficiency (3.96%). This improvement is attributed to optimized dye adsorption and efficient charge transport. In contrast, lower dye concentrations (≤0.2 mM) led to insufficient dye coverage, limiting light harvesting and reducing photocurrent, while higher concentrations (≥0.5 mM) experienced aggregation and excessive dye loading, causing increased recombination losses. Analysis of the dark J-V curves further revealed that higher concentrations resulted in elevated dark currents, suggesting more significant charge recombination. DSSCs using 0.3 mM and 0.4 mM concentrations maintained a favorable balance between electron injection and suppression of recombination, supporting stable device performance. These findings highlight 0.3 mM as the optimal dye concentration, offering an effective compromise between dye loading, charge transfer, and recombination management. This study also emphasizes the need for future work on interface modification and electrolyte optimization to further enhance DSSC performance.
Keywords : DSSC, N719 dye, photovoltaic efficiency