Speaker
Description
Photovoltaic (PV) technology has evolved rapidly in the past few decades and now encompasses a large variety of materials and device structures. A key aspect to be considered in any PV technology is the operational durability under real outdoor conditions, as well as the sustainability of materials/components and the facile integration with energy storage systems.
In the last five years, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with water-based electrolytes have been considered as one of the possible breakthroughs towards DSSCs large-scale diffusion. If opportunely developed and optimized, aqueous solar cells can be truly considered as zero-impact photovoltaic devices fabricated with non-toxic components [1,2,3,4].
We show here the possibility of jellying the electrolyte into a solid matrix to boost stability, the possible use of different redox mediators solvated by water, the formulation of TiO2 pastes for screen-printable photoanodes operating in water, and the replacement of Pt cathodes with more sustainable alternatives.
Overall, we will show how much water-based photovoltaics represents a challenging topic in the current energy scenario, and how it will be able to provide safe, sustainable and easily processable solar cells for building-integrated photovoltaics and portable electronics.
References
1. F. Bella et al., Chem. Soc. Rev. 2015, 44, 3431-3473.
2. L. Fagiolari et al., ChemSusChem 2020, 13, 6562-6573.
3. S. Galliano et al., Nanomaterials 2020, 10, 1585.
4. F. Bella et al., Chem. Sci. 2020, 11, 1485-1473.
This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No. 948769)
| Speaker Country | Italy |
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