We tired TCSPC measurement for synthesized dyes for dye sensitized solar cells in dichloromethane solvent, and what are the main parameters can we discuss related to DSSCs?
With TCSPC one can measure fluorescence lifetimes. TCSPC in combination with an ultrafast laser one can measure picosecond dynamics and in combination with nanoleds one can measure nanosecond dynamics.
Ideal thing would be to fabricate a solar cell and check how good your dye is. In case you can't do that and If you really want to do something meaningful with the data you have. You may look at these aspects.
1) From solar cell perspective fluorescent dyes with low quantum yield are better. Fluorescence quantum yields could be calculated from fluorescence lifetimes measured via TCSPC (Fluorescence Quantum Yield = Radiative rate constant * Fluorescence lifetime i.e, phi = kr * tau).
Your lifetimes should be measured in a matrix material and under experimental conditions similar to that used in a solar cell.
2) You could understand the photophysics of the dye.
3) You could identify the concentration range in which the dye aggregates.
4) If you have a solar cell architecture in mind then you could do some preliminary checks as to how your dye behaves in the device namely quenching effects, aggregation effects etc from fluorescence lifetime measurements performed on a TCSPC setup.
Some of the above information can also be obtained from steady state expts performed on a fluorimeter.
Hi, Ravi kishore sir
According to point no.1. The lifetime of the dye is low it is good for solar cell but it is in solution mode or on Conductive film or in both cases? and any relation between electron injection and lifetime?
The lifetime of the dye has to be measured in the matrix and in combination with materials used in the device (under identical conditions) for the measurements to be meaningful.
For some materials there is no big difference in lifetimes in solid phase and in liquid phase e.g. Alq3. [V. V. N. Ravi Kishore et al., Synthetic Metals 126(2-3):199-205, 2002 DOI: 10.1016/S0379-6779(01)00553-7] but for most materials, lifetimes in solid phase are less than in liquid phase. Solution measurements can be a good indicator if the molecule belongs to the former case but not for the second case.
If electron injection time is less than lifetime (exciton decay time) then it is better and that would give you higher solar cell efficiency. In such a case the exciton would split before it decays leading to poor quantum efficiency. Also the lifetimes of such molecules will be low.
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