National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

Koujirou Hara

Nagatoshi Koumura

Masaru Yoshida

Nobuyuki Tamaoki

Zhong-Sheng Wang

Disclosed is a novel ionic liquid gel electrolyte having high photoelectric conversion efficiency. Also disclosed are a novel dye-sensitized photoelectric conversion device using such an ionic liquid gel electrolyte, and a solar cell composed of such a dye-sensitized photoelectric conversion device. Specifically disclosed is an ionic liquid gel electrolyte obtained by gelling a liquid electrolyte by using an ionic organic oligomer gelling agent represented by the general formulae (1) and (2) below. Also specifically disclosed are a dye-sensitized photoelectric conversion device, wherein the ionic liquid gel electrolyte is arranged between a counter electrode and a dye-absorbed semiconductor substrate which is arranged in contact with a transparent conductive substrate, and a solar cell. 

Ionic gel electrolyte, dye-sensitized photoelectric conversion device and solar cell

The present invention provides: an organic compound increasing an open circuit voltage, and showing high photoelectric conversion efficiency; a semiconductor film electrode employing the organic compound as a dye; a photoelectric conversion element employing the semiconductor film electrode; and a photoelectrochemical solar cell employing the photoelectric conversion element. The organic compound is represented by the following general formula: wherein A is a carbazole ring; Lis an electron transfer linking group having at least one heterocyclic ring selected from the group consisting of a thiophene ring, a furan ring, a pyrrole ring, and a condensed heterocyclic ring formed from any combinations of these rings; R is a substituent group bound to at least one electron transfer linking group selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, and an aryl group; X is at least one electron withdrawing group selected from the group consisting of a cyano group, a carboxylic acid group, an ester group, an amide group, a trifluoromethyl group, a pentafluoroethyl group, a sulfonate group, and a trifluoromethanesulfonate group; M is a hydrogen atom or a salt-forming cation; and n is an integer of 1 to 12.

Organic compound, semiconductor film electrode employing the organic compound, photoelectric conversion element employing the organic compound, and photoelectrochemical solar cell employing the organic compound

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Tsukuba, Japan

Koujirou Hara