Effect of Poly(Ether Urethane) Introduction on the Performance of Polymer Electrolyte for All-Solid-State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

The introduction of poly(ether urethane) (PEUR) into polymer electrolyte based on poly(ethylene oxide), LiI and I₂, has significantly increased the ionic conductivity by nearly two orders of magnitudes. An increment of I₃^- diffusion coefficient is also observed. All-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells are constructed using the polymer electrolytes. It was found that PEUR incorporation has a beneficial effect on the enhancement of open circuit voltage V_OC by shifting the band edge of TiO₂ to a negative value. Scanning
electron microscope images indicate the perfect interfacial contact between the TiO₂ electrode and the blend electrolyte.