Fabrication of screen-printing pastes of carbon powders for dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

A preparation technique of screen-printing pastes of carbon has been disclosed in order to fabricate nanocrystalline layers without cracking and pealing-off over 6.8-μm thickness for the counter electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). A well blended mixture of powdered activated carbon, natural graphite powder, and a colloidal sol produced the screen-printing pastes. A DSSC fabricated with the carbon electrode whose TiO2 photo-electrode was sensitized with anthocyanin local dye gave a photoconversion efficiency of 1.01%.