Photoelectrode and Method for Preparing the Same

Abstract

The present invention relates to an photoelectrode and the preparation method thereof, wherein said photoelectrode comprises a substrate and a titania layer composed of a mesoporous titania bead having a diameter of 200-1000 nm, specific surface area of 50-100 m2 / g, porosity of 40-60%, pore radius of 5-20 nm, pore volume of 0.20-0.30 cm3 / g, and the titania comprised in the bead is anatase titania.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to a photoelectrode and method for preparing the same.[0003]2. Description of the Related Art[0004]After industrial revolution, fossil fuel consumptions grew dramatically accompanying with the development of science, and resulted in fossil fuel exhaustion and environmental damages. For sustainable survival, the development of renewable and alternative energy was the ultimate goal of the world. In all alternative energies, solar energy caught people's attention because it was abundant and clean, and many companies had invested in the associated research and development.[0005]Solar cell, also called photovoltaic cell, was a device for converting light energy into electrical energy. However, lots of energy was consumed during the manufacture of solar cells, so it was still a challenge for solar cells to reach grid parity. At present, most commercial solar cells were silicon solar cells, in whi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent is about using mesoporous titanium beads to make photoelectrodes for cells. The beads have a high amount of anatase titanium dioxide, which increases electron diffusion and light scattering. The beads are also small in size, which improves the efficiency of light harvesting and electron injection in the cells. The resulting photoelectrodes made from these beads can lead to higher efficiency cells. The patent provides a method for making the beads and explains how their properties affect electron diffusion and life span, which affects charge collection efficiency. Overall, the invention offers a promising approach for improving the performance of photoelectrodes for cell applications.

Problems solved by technology

After industrial revolution, fossil fuel consumptions grew dramatically accompanying with the development of science, and resulted in fossil fuel exhaustion and environmental damages.

However, lots of energy was consumed during the manufacture of solar cells, so it was still a challenge for solar cells to reach grid parity.

But the cost of silicon solar cells was high because pure crystalline silicon materials were widely used in semiconductor industry.

Materials generally used for non-silicon thin-film solar cells were cadmium telluride (CdTe) or copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS, CuInGaSe), in which the former material was mainly used by First Solar for manufacturing solar cells with the lowest price per watt in all commercial solar cells, but cadmium contamination was a concerned issue; and the latter material could be used for manufacturing stable solar cells with high efficiency and long life span, but the complicated element composition caused low yield rate.

Generally, DSC had a shorter life span and lower cell efficiency; however, if these disadvantages were overcome, it would be the most widely used solar cell in the future.

However, NPs did not have an oriented structure, and the electrons immigrated in random directions, so the electron collection efficiency was limited.

In addition, the particle size of NPs was too small to produce effective visible light scattering and good light harvesting.

08). Nevertheless, the structure of nanotube and the like did not provide sufficient dye-loading, so the other structures derived from nanoparticles were still under research and develop

However, this two-layer photoelectrode was only applied to rigid DSCs, not introduced into flexible dye-sensitized solar cells (FDSCs).

This was because there were less contacts between large size TiO2 beads and the substrate, so the photoelectrode was not well-attached on the substrate, and this highlighted the disadvantage of FDSCs.

Therefore, the DSCs using TiO2 beads had low electron collection efficiency and reduced cell efficiency.

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