Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), as a cost effective and eco-friendly photovoltaic technology for utilizing solar energy, are promising in meeting the increasing demand of clean and renewable energy resources. Among various sensitizers, porphyrins are crucial candidates with the advantages of strong absorption in a wide spectral range, tunable photophysical and electrochemical properties, and long-lived excited states facilitating electron injection. After decades of development, the power conversion efficiencies of porphyrin-based DSSCs have exceeded 13%, showing the great potential of porphyrins in fabricating highly efficient DSSCs. This review summarizes effective molecular engineering strategies for optimizing porphyrin sensitizers as well as intermolecular engineering of coadsorption and cosensitization systems, with the aim to provide further insight into the molecular structure–photovoltaic performance correlations and an outlook on possible exploration directions in the future for achieving DSSCs with high efficiencies, long-term stability and low cost feasible for practical applications. In addition, the recent advances of porphyrin-based organic solar cells (OSCs) are briefly introduced considering similar design strategies employed for developing porphyrin dyes for DSSCs and active materials for OSCs.

Molecular engineering strategies for fabricating efficient porphyrin-based dye-sensitized solar cells

Review of ionic liquids containing, polymer/inorganic hybrid electrolytes for lithium metal batteries

Using a simple hydrothermal synthesis, the crystal structure of TiO2 nanoparticles was controlled from rutile to anatase using a sugar alcohol, D-sorbitol. Adding small amounts of D-sorbitol to an aqueous TiCl4 solution resulted in changes in the crystal phase, particle size, and surface area by affecting the hydrolysis rate of TiCl4. These changes led to improvements of the solar-to-electrical power conversion efficiency (η) of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) fabricated using these nanoparticles. A postulated reaction mechanism concerning the role of D-sorbitol in the formation of rutile and anatase was proposed. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, (13)C NMR spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering analyses were used to better understand the interaction between the Ti precursor and D-sorbitol. The crystal phase and size of the synthesized TiO2 nanocrystallites as well as photovoltaic performance of the DSSC were examined using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and photocurrent density-applied voltage spectroscopy measurement techniques. The DSSC fabricated using the anatase TiO2 nanoparticles synthesized in the presence of D-sorbitol, exhibited an enhanced η (6%, 1.5-fold improvement) compared with the device fabricated using the rutile TiO2 synthesized without D-sorbitol.

/pdf/d-sorbitol-induced-phase-control-of-tio2-nanoparticles-and-46a14q46b1.pdf

D-sorbitol-induced phase control of TiO2 nanoparticles and its application for dye-sensitized solar cells.

Conductivity is a desirable property of an ideal nerve guide conduit (NGC) that is being considered for peripheral nerve regeneration. Most of the conductive polymers reported in use for fabrication of tissue engineering scaffolds such as polypyrrole (PPy), polyaniline, polythiophene, and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) are non-biodegradable and possess weak mechanical properties to be fabricated into 3D structures. In this study, a biodegradable and conductive block copolymer of PPy and Polycaprolactone (PPy-b-PCL) was used to fabricate 3D porous NGCs using a novel electrohydrodynamic jet 3D printing process which offers superior control over fiber diameter, pore size, porosity, and fiber alignment. PCL/PPy scaffolds with three different concentrations of PPy-b-PCL (0.5, 1, and 2% v/v) were fabricated as a mesh (pore size 125 ± 15 μm) and the effect of incorporation of PPy-b-PCL on mechanical properties, biodegradability, and conductivity of the NGCs were studied. The mechanical properties of the scaffolds decreased with the addition of PPy-b-PCL which aided the ability to fabricate softer scaffolds that are closer to the properties of the native human peripheral nerve. With increasing concentrations of PPy-b-PCL, the scaffolds displayed a marked increase in conductivity (ranging from 0.28 to 1.15 mS/cm depending on concentration of PPy). Human embryonic stem cell-derived neural crest stem cells (hESC-NCSCs) were used to investigate the impact of PPy-b-PCL based conductive scaffolds on the growth and differentiation to peripheral neuronal cells. The hESC-NCSCs were able to attach and differentiate to peripheral neurons on PCL and PCL/PPy scaffolds, in particular the PCL/PPy (1% v/v) scaffolds supported higher growth of neural cells and a stronger maturation of hESC-NCSCs to peripheral neuronal cells. Overall, these results suggest that PPy-based conductive scaffolds have potential clinical value as cell-free or cell-laden NGCs for peripheral neuronal regeneration.

/pdf/3d-printed-pcl-ppy-conductive-scaffolds-as-three-dimensional-3zp6ejec3p.pdf

3D-Printed PCL/PPy Conductive Scaffolds as Three-Dimensional Porous Nerve Guide Conduits (NGCs) for Peripheral Nerve Injury Repair.

TiO2 microspheres are of great interest for a great deal of applications, especially in the solar cell field. Because of their unique microstructure and light-scattering effect, TiO2 microsphere-based solar cells often exhibit superior photovoltaic performance. Hence, exploring new suitable TiO2 microspheres for high-efficiency solar cells is essential. In this work, we demonstrate a facile one-pot solvothermal approach for synthesis of TiO2 microspheres using acetone as solvent. The as-prepared TiO2 microspheres are composed of densely interconnected nanocrystals and possess a high specific surface area up to 138.47 m2 g–1. As the photoanode, the TiO2 microsphere-based DSSC gives higher dye loading and light adsorption ability as well as longer electron lifetime, resulting in higher short-circuit current value and superior power conversion efficiency (PCE) compared with Dyesol 18 nm TiO2 nanoparticle paste. Finally, the TiO2 microsphere-based DSSC were optimized by adding a TiO2 nanocrystal underlayer an...

One-Pot Synthesis of Mesoporous TiO₂ Micropheres and Its Application for High-Efficiency Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

The position effect of electron-deficient quinoxaline moiety in porphyrin based sensitizers

To expand the application of solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells (ssDSSCs) to low temperatures, it is necessary to develop new solid electrolytes with low glass transition temperature (Tg). The Tg is regulated by varying the length of alkyl chain that is connected with the nitrogen atom in the imidazolium ring linked to the polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS). The Tg as low as -8.8 °C is achieved with the POSS grafted with methyl-substituted imidazolium. The effect of alkyl group on the conductivity, Tg, and photovoltaic performance has also been investigated. The conductivity and power conversion efficiency increase with the alkyl length, while the Tg first increases and then decreases with the alkyl length. Among the synthesized POSS-based ionic conductors, the POSS grafted with the methyl-substituted imidazolium yields the highest power conversion efficiency of 6.98% at RT due to its highest conductivity, and the efficiency (6.52%) is still good at -4 °C, as its Tg (-8.8 °C) is lower than the working temperature (-4 °C). This finding suggests that the POSS-based solid electrolyte is promising for subzero-temperature applications of ssDSSCs.

POSS-Based Electrolyte for Efficient Solid-State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells at Sub-Zero Temperatures.

Nanoparticle chains of anatase TiO2 composed of ∼5 nm nanoparticles with a high surface area (309 m2 g−1) are prepared by slow hydrolysis of titanium tetraisopropoxide modified with glacial acetic acid at a temperature of 50 °C. These nanoparticle chains without hydrothermal treatment can be used directly to fabricate photoanodes for highly efficient dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), which achieve a power conversion efficiency of 9.80% at simulated AM1.5 G illumination (100 mW cm−2). The approach presented in this study demonstrates a facile synthesis of anatase TiO2 chains for use in DSSCs, which avoid hazards arising from a hydrothermal process that is typically adopted to prepare crystalline TiO2 nanoparticles for use as the photoanode in DSSCs.

Low temperature preparation of TiO2 nanoparticle chains without hydrothermal treatment for highly efficient dye-sensitized solar cells

Using a “grafting from” strategy, the graft copolymer poly(ethylene oxide)-g-[poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(e-caprolactone)] [PEO-g-(PEO-b-PCL)] with double crystallizable side chains was synthesized by a sequential ring-opening polymerization (ROP) mechanism. First, the ethoxyethyl glycidyl ether (EEGE) monomers containing a protected hydroxyl group were copolymerized with ethylene oxide (EO) monomers to form poly(ethylene oxide-co-ethoxyethyl glycidyl ether) [poly(EO-co-EEGE)], and the pendant hydroxyl groups were recovered by cleavage of the protecting groups for give poly(ethylene oxide-co-glycidyl) [poly(EO-co-Gly)]. Then, using poly(EO-co-Gly) with the pendant hydroxyl groups as a macroinitiator, the graft copolymer poly(ethylene oxide)-g-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-g-PEO) was obtained by ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of the EO monomers, and the graft copolymer PEO-g-(PEO-b-PCL) was obtained by sequential ROP of e-CL monomers. The target PEO-g-(PEO-b-PCL) and intermediates were all characterized in detail by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) and Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H NMR). The thermal stability and crystallization behaviors were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that the graft structure and compositions had important effects on the thermal stability and crystallization behaviors, and the crystallizability of graft copolymers was predominantly controlled by the outer segments.

Synthesis and characterization of graft copolymers poly(ethylene oxide)-g-[poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(ε-caprolactone)] with double crystallizable side chains

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The position effect of electron-deficient quinoxaline moiety in porphyrin based sensitizers

POSS-Based Electrolyte for Efficient Solid-State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells at Sub-Zero Temperatures.

Low temperature preparation of TiO2 nanoparticle chains without hydrothermal treatment for highly efficient dye-sensitized solar cells

Synthesis and characterization of graft copolymers poly(ethylene oxide)-g-[poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(ε-caprolactone)] with double crystallizable side chains