Quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells assembled with polymeric ionic liquid and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) counter electrode

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) nanofibers (PEDOT-NF) with high catalytic activity were synthesized and employed as a counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). A polymeric ionic liquid (PIL) was used as a gelling agent and an iodide source for making a highly conductive gel polymer electrolyte. A quasi-solid-state DSSC assembled with this PIL-based gel polymer electrolyte and PEDOT-NF counter electrode exhibited high conversion efficiency of 8.12% at 100 mW cm? 2.This work was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the MEST of Korea for the Center for Next-generation Dye-sensitized Solar Cells (grant no. 2012-0000591) and the Human Resources Development Program of KETEP funded by the Korea government Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (grant no. 20124010203290)