Effect of Dye Immersion Duration on the Efficiency of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs)

In this study, dye-sensitized solar cells based on the semiconductor titanium dioxide (TiO₂) were fabricated. The photoanode was prepared using the paste method, consisting of a TiO₂ film with a thickness of 1 μm and an area of 1 cm², deposited on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) conductive glass substrates and subsequently heat-treated. A dye solution based on the N719 formula was then prepared, and the electrodes were immersed in it for varying durations (24, 48, and 72 hours). After immersion, the electrodes were removed from the dye solution and dried in preparation for solar cell assembly. Next, the counter electrode (cathode) was prepared. Platinum was introduced by dissolving chloroplatinic acid powder in isopropyl alcohol, and the resulting solution was deposited onto FTO substrates and heat-treated to finalize the cathode electrode. Once all cell components were prepared, they were assembled using the sandwich configuration, and performance measurements were conducted using an electrical characterization device. The dye-sensitized solar cell achieved an efficiency of 1.74% after 24 hours of dye immersion. Increasing the immersion time to 48 hours improved the efficiency to 2.1%, and further immersion to 72 hours yielded the highest efficiency of 2.35%, which represents the best performance observed in this study.