Stable and Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells and Supercapacitors Developed Using Ionic-Liquid-Doped Biopolymer Electrolytes

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Subhrajit Konwar, Diksha Singh, Karol Strzałkowski, Mohamad Najmi Bin Masri, Muhd Zu Azhan Yahya, Markus Diantoro, Serguei V. Savilov, Pramod K. Singh

2023 Molecules Vol. 28 Issue 13 Article Cited by 23 Quartile

Abstract

An ionic liquid (IL) 1-ethyl, 2-methyl imidazolium thiocyanate incorporated biopolymer system is reported in this communication for applications in dual energy devices, i.e., electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) and dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The solution caste method has been used to synthesize ionic-liquid-incorporated biopolymer electrolyte films. The IL mixed biopolymer electrolytes achieve high ionic conductivity up to the order of 10−3 S/cm with good thermal stability above 250 °C. Electrical, structural, and optical studies of these IL-doped biopolymer electrolyte films are presented in detail. The performance of EDLCs was evaluated using low-frequency electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and constant current charge–discharge, while that of DSSCs was assessed using J–V characteristics. The EDLC cells exhibited a high specific capacitance of 200 F/gram, while DSSCs delivered 1.53% efficiency under sun conditions. © 2023 by the authors.

Affiliations

Center for Solar Cells & Renewable Energy, Department of Physics, Sharda University, Greater Noida, 201310, India; Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Grudziadzka 5, Torun, 87-100, Poland; Faculty of Bioengineering and Technology, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Kota Bharu, 16100, Malaysia; Faculty of Defence Science and Technology, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM), Kuala Lumpur, 57000, Malaysia; Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Negeri Malang, Semarang 5, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1–3 Leninskiye Gory, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation