Flexible Photoanode for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with Outstanding Short-Circuit Current Based on Magnesium Oxide-Coated Tin Dioxide Films

MgO-coated SnO2 films were prepared on plastic substrate (polyethylene naphthalate coated with indium-doped tin oxide, ITO/PEN) by the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) technique and mechanically compressed. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated with plastic MgO-coated SnO2 photoanodes, which showed a maximum energy conversion efficiency of 6.5% (under 100 mW cm(-2) AM 1.5 G) due to the high short-circuit current 18.1 mA cm(-2). The short-circuit current of the on-plastic MgO-coated SnO2 photoanodes was almost the same as that of the high-temperature sintered photoanodes. The high short-circuit current was ascribed to the improvement of the interparticle connection and electron lifetime in MgO-coated SnO2 films after 150 MPa compression. This study demonstrates that SnO2-based photoanodes obtained via EPD are promising for highly efficient plastic DSSCs. (c) 2013 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.