Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Made by Using a Polysilsesquioxane Polymeric Ionic Fluid as Redox Electrolyte

Dye-sensitized solar cells have been made by using electrolytes based on a polysilsesquioxane ionic fluid. This is a nanocomposite organic−inorganic material synthesized by the sol−gel route using 1-methyl-3-[3-(trimethoxy-λ 4 -silyl)propyl]-1 H -imidazolium iodide as precursor. This compound is an imidazolium iodide derivatized with covalent attachment of a trimethoxysilane group. Condensation was obtained by formic acid solvolysis at 120 °C in the absence of water. The obtained materials have been characterized by IR, 29 Si NMR and conductivity measurements. Cells have been constructed by using several variants of the above electrolyte and have been characterized by current−voltage measurements.