Dye Sensitized Solar Cell

(Grätzel Cell)Group 4

Project :Chemistry

By Ninad Patil

and Atharva Tendle

What is a DSSC?

A dye sensitized solar cell is a new kind of relatively low cost solar cell with great potential as its materials are considerably cheaper and it is simple to make.

How does a DSSC function?

A DSSC functions due to the interactions between the cell's anode and the cathode, and the nanoparticles of titanium oxide, coated with light sensitive dye and surrounded by electrolyte.

The components

The Anode

A Flourine-doped Tin Oxide glass is used as the anode with one side conductive.

An Indium tin-oxide glass is also used at some places.

We made two Tin Oxide glass using SnCl2(Stannous Chloride).

Amrut Sir

Titanium dioxide

Mesh of titanium dioxide nanoparticles are situated between the anode and the cathode, this mesh acts as a route for the electrons passing through.

The TiO2 nanoparticles are coated with a light absorbing dye which converts photons(light) to electrons(electricity).

The Dye

We used a pomegranate dye instead of a blackberry or a raspberry dye because pomegranate dye also contains the key ingredient needed for the photochemical reaction to occur.

This pigment is called Anthocyanin.

Cathode

On the other side there is the cathode which is usually a film of graphite or platinum.

For our DSSC we used a FTO conductive glass, on which we added graphite on the conductive side using a pencil.And then we heated it at 300C for fifteen minutes.

Electrolyte

An electrolyte(usually iodide) fills up the spaces between and helps transfer electrons.

Lithium iodide is the most used electrolyte in the production of DSSCs.

How is the electricity generated?

When photon strikes a dye molecule, the energy from the photon is absorbed into the dye molecule.The dye molecule enters an excited state and, emits an electron.

The emitted electron travels through the TiO2 nano particles until it reaches the anode ( or it is lost to the iodide solution because of defects in the TiO2 nanoparticles)

The iodide molecules in the solution give electrons to the dye molecules that have lost the electrons

The components

The ResultThen, the electrons from the cathode

restore the electrons needed by the iodide, which restores the electrons needed by the dye molecules, and the whole process keeps reoccuring.

The electrons flow from the anode to the cathode and create a current,which is measured using a multimeter.