Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Ethiopia (Aug 2007)

<b>The photoresponse behavior of a MEH-PPV sensitized titanium dioxide photoelectrochemical cell</b>

  • Assefa Sergawie,
  • Teketel Yohannes,
  • Theodros Solomon

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 21, no. 2
pp. 281 – 290

Abstract

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A solid-state photoelectrochemical cell based on polymer-sensitized nanocrystalline titanium dioxide (nc-TiO2) was constructed and studied for its photoresponse behavior. Poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV) and Poly[oxymethylene-oligo(oxyethylene)] (POMOE), complexed with I3-/I- redox couple were used as a polymer-sensitizer to TiO2 and as a solid polymer electrolyte, respectively. The device produced a short-circuit current of 0.145 mA/cm2, and an open-circuit voltage of 410 mV under the irradiance of 100 mW/cm2. The power conversion efficiency and the fill factor were 0.03 % and 0.5, respectively. The monochromatic induced photon-to-current conversion efficiencies for backside (ITO/nc-TiO2/MEH-PPV) and for front side (ITO/PEDOT) illuminations were 1.8 % and 1.4 %, respectively.

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