Effect of sealing with ultraviolet‐curable adhesives on the performance of dye‐sensitized solar cells

In this study, we investigated different types of oligomers, including an aliphatic polyester‐based urethane diacrylate (CN 991) and aliphatic hydrophobic backbone (CN 9014), and different contents of the oligomers and different amounts of 2‐(perfluorohexyl) ethyl methacrylate (PFE) monomer in ultraviolet (UV)‐curable adhesive to explore the effects of their resistance to corrosion on the basis of the electrolyte, adhesion strength, and performance of the sealing of dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The DSSCs were sealed with a 58% CN 9014 containing UV‐curable adhesive mixed with 3.0 wt % PFE monomer, which had the greatest open‐circuit voltage and short‐circuit current density. A 4.8% efficiency was obtained after the sample underwent long‐term thermal stability tests at 60°C for 37 days. The performance of the 3.0 wt % PFE‐containing UV‐curable adhesive in the sealing of DSSCs was better than that of Surlyn for long‐term thermal stability. In addition, this adhesive provided better resistance to corrosion because of the electrolyte and enhanced the DSSCs' durability.