Porous Polymer Solid Electrolyte for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
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Solution Overview
Problem
Dye-sensitized solar cells using liquid electrolytes face issues with leakage and insufficient long-term durability, leading to reduced merchantability and potential health hazards due to electrolyte toxicity, and existing solid electrolytes have low current density and limited polymer material options.
Innovation Solution
A method for preparing a porous polymer solid electrolyte using a hydrophilic polymer material, where the polymer is dissolved in a hydrophilic solvent to form a thin film and then treated with another solvent to create pores, enhancing adhesion and control over electrolyte impregnation, thereby preventing leakage and improving efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a liquid electrolyte is used in dye-sensitized solar cells, then the cell can achieve acceptable energy conversion efficiency, but the electrolyte may leak due to substrate damage, reducing merchantability and posing health hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a porous polymer film as a solid electrolyte replacement for liquid electrolytes. The porous structure allows sufficient electrolyte impregnation while containing the electrolyte within the solid matrix, preventing leakage. The film maintains durability and eliminates the harmful effects of liquid electrolyte leakage and toxicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the electrolyte from liquid to solid by using a porous polymer film structure. This parameter change maintains the electrolyte's functional properties while eliminating leakage issues. The porous structure provides appropriate porosity and surface area to support electrolyte function in solid form.
2Reliability
If a solid electrolyte is used to prevent leakage, then durability is improved, but current density becomes very low and efficiency cannot be expected
Solution Approach 1:
The porous polymer film provides a three-dimensional network structure with high surface area and controlled porosity. This structure allows sufficient electrolyte impregnation while maintaining solid electrolyte containment, thereby achieving both high current density and leakage prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a two-dimensional surface film to a three-dimensional porous network structure. This dimensional change increases the surface area and volume available for electrolyte impregnation, enabling sufficient ionic conduction and current density while maintaining the solid electrolyte's leakage-free advantage.
3Manufacturing precision
If electrospinning is used to control porous structure, then pore morphology can be optimized, but high initial investment is required and polymer material options are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a simple dip-coating or casting method instead of expensive electrospinning equipment. The porous polymer film is formed using readily available materials and straightforward processing, eliminating the need for high initial investment while achieving sufficient porous structure control for electrolyte impregnation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a porous polymer film structure that can be formed by simple methods. The porous structure is achieved through straightforward techniques rather than complex electrospinning, making the process accessible and the polymer material choices broad and available.
4Ease of manufacture
If the polymer film is made non-porous to simplify structure, then manufacturing is easier, but electrolyte impregnation is insufficient and efficiency drops
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a porous structure into the polymer film to enable sufficient electrolyte impregnation. The porous network provides channels and surface area for electrolyte absorption while maintaining a relatively simple film structure that can be manufactured using straightforward processes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The porous polymer solid electrolyte increases photocurrent and energy conversion efficiency, simplifies manufacturing, and minimizes electrolyte leakage, resulting in improved durability and productivity of dye-sensitized solar cells.
Implementation Method 1
a film is formed by dissolving a hydrophilic polymer in a hydrophilic solvent
Implementation Method 2
pores are formed by dissolving the formed film in another hydrophilic solvent, which does not dissolve the hydrophilic polymer of step (i), so that only the hydrophilic solvent of step (i) is dissolved
Implementation Method 3
polymer nanofibers having high specific surface area are used in a solid electrolyte layer to effectively to induce an increase in photocurrent, thereby increasing the amount of electrolyte impregnated
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a solid electrolyte for a dye-sensitized solar cell, which includes a three-dimensional porous thin film made of a hydrophilic polymer material, and a dye-sensitized solar cell using the same. More particularly, the present invention provides a high-efficient dye-sensitized solar cell, in which polymer nanofibers having high specific surface area are used in an electrolyte layer to effectively induce an increase in photocurrent, thereby increasing the amount of electrolyte impregnated. When the porous film prepared by the method of the present invention is used as a solid electrolyte for a dye-sensitized solar cell, a process of forming an electrolyte inlet and sealing the inlet is not required, which simplifies the entire process, compared to an existing dye-sensitized solar cell using a liquid electrolyte.