Electrochimica Acta, Vol.55, No.2, 458-464, 2009
Photoelectrochemical kinetics of Eosin Y-sensitized zinc oxide films investigated by scanning electrochemical microscopy under illumination with different LED
The overall efficiency of the light-induced charge separation in dye-sensitized solar cells depends on the kinetic competition between back electron transfer and dye regeneration processes by a redox electrolyte. In a previous study, the reduction of the intermittently formed photo-oxidized dye molecules by iodide ions in the electrolyte phase was investigated using the feedback mode of a scanning electrochemical microscope (SECM) and a quantitative model had been derived. Here we provide a more thorough experimental verification of this model by variation of the excitation wavelength, light intensities and mediator concentrations. Nanoporous ZnO/Eosin Y films prepared by self-assembly were used as model electrodes and were used with an iodide/triiodide electrolyte. The experimentally found effective rate constants could be related to the rate constant for the reaction of the dissolved donor with photo-oxidized Eosin Y bound to ZnO and the absorption spectrum of the dye and confirmed the assumption made in the derivation of the model. For the regeneration process of Eosin Y, a rate constant of k(ox) with different light emitting diodes and light intensities is determined. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords:Dye-sensitized solar cells;Electron transfer;Kinetics;Nanoporous zinc oxide;Triiodide electrolyte;Scanning electrochemical microscopy