Electrolyte compositon, photoelectric converter and dye-sensitized solar cell using same

• US 20060174932A1
• Filed: 07/12/2004
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujikura Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujikura Limited
• Inventors: Tanabe, Nobuo, Usui, Hiroki, Yanagida, Shozo, Matsui, Hiroshi, Ezure, Tetsuya
• Granted Patent: US 8,785,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/252
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/04 mainly consisting of carbon-silicon compounds, carbon or silicon
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/122 Ionic conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/2009 Solid electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/2013 the electrolyte comprising ionic liquids, e.g. alkyl imidazolium iodide
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/2031 comprising titanium oxide, e.g. TiO2 H01G9/2036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/2036 comprising mixed oxides, e.g. ZnO covered TiO2 particles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 14/005 Photoelectrochemical storage cells light sensitive devices H01G9/20, semiconductors sensitive to light H01L31/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0091 in the form of mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/821 comprising carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/542 Dye sensitized solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/742 Carbon nanotubes, CNTs

Abstract

An electrolyte composition containing an ionic liquid and conductive particles as main components, an electrolyte composition containing an ionic liquid, and oxide semiconductor particles or oxide semiconductor particles, and conductive particles, and an electrolyte composition containing an ionic liquid and insulating particles are provided. Furthermore, a photoelectric conversion element comprising: a working electrode, the working electrode comprising an electrode substrate and an oxide semiconductor porous film formed on the electrode substrate and sensitized with a dye; a counter electrode disposed opposing the working electrode; and an electrolyte layer made of these electrolyte compositions is provided.

Claims

1. An electrolyte composition comprising an ionic liquid and conductive particles.

2. The electrolyte composition according to claim 1 further comprising a gelling agent.

3. The electrolyte composition according to claim 1, wherein a content of the conductive particles is not less than 0.05% by weight and not more than 10% by weight with respect to a total amount of the electrolyte composition.

4. The electrolyte composition according to claim 1, wherein a content of the conductive particles is not less than 0.05% by weight and not more than 10% by weight with respect to the ionic liquid.

5. The electrolyte composition according to claim 1, wherein the conductive particles comprise a material containing carbon as a main component.

6. The electrolyte composition according to claim 5, wherein the material containing carbon as a main component is one member or a mixture of a plurality of members selected from the group consisting of carbon nanotubes, carbon fibers, and carbon black.

7. The electrolyte composition according to claim 6, wherein the carbon nanotubes are either one of or a mixture of single-wall carbon nanotubes and multi-wall carbon nanotubes.

8. A photoelectric conversion element comprising the electrolyte composition according to claim 1 contained as an electrolyte.

9. A photoelectric conversion element, comprising:

a working electrode, the working electrode comprising an electrode substrate and an oxide semiconductor porous film formed on the electrode substrate and sensitized with a dye;

a counter electrode disposed opposing the working electrode; and

an electrolyte layer made of the electrolyte composition according to claim 1 provided between the working electrode and the counter electrode.

10. A dye-sensitized photovoltaic cell, comprising:

a working electrode, the working electrode comprising an electrode substrate and an oxide semiconductor porous film formed on the electrode substrate and sensitized with a dye;

a counter electrode disposed opposing the working electrode; and

an electrolyte layer made of the electrolyte composition according to claim 1 provided between the working electrode and the counter electrode.

33. The electrolyte composition according to claim 5, wherein the material containing carbon as a main component includes carbon nanotubes, carbon fibers, carbon black, and the like.

35. The electrolyte composition according to claim 1 wherein the ionic liquid is a room temperature molten salt that is liquid at room temperature.

36. The electrolyte composition according to claim 33 wherein the molten salt comprises a cation selected from the group consisting of a compound containing a quaternized nitrogen atom, a quaternary imidazolium derivative, a quaternary pyridinium derivative, and a quaternary ammonium derivative.

37. The electrolyte composition according to claim 35 wherein the molten salt comprises an anion selected from the group consisting of BF₄⁻

, PF₆⁻

, F(HF)_n⁻

, bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide [N(CF₃SO₂)₂⁻

], and iodide ions.

38. The electrolyte composition according to claim 1 wherein the conductive particles have a specific resistance of 1.0×

10<sup>−

2</sup> Ω

·

cm or less.

39. The electrolyte composition according to claim 1 further comprising oxidation-reduction pairs.

11. An electrolyte composition comprising an ionic liquid and oxide semiconductor particles.

12. The electrolyte composition according to claim 11, further comprising conductive particles.

13. The electrolyte composition according to claim 11 further comprising a gelling agent.

14. The electrolyte composition according to claim 11, wherein the oxide semiconductor particles are one member or a mixture of two or more members selected from the group consisting of TiO₂, SnO₂, WO₃, ZnO, ITO, BaTiO₃, Nb₂O₅, In₂O₃, ZrO₂, Ta₂O₅, La₂O₃, SrTiO₃, Y₂O₃, Ho₂O₃, Bi₂O₃, CeO₂, and Al₂O₃.

15. The electrolyte composition according to claim 14, wherein the TiO₂ is either one of or a mixture of titanium oxide nanotubes and titanium oxide nanoparticles.

16. The electrolyte composition according to claim 12, wherein the conductive particles of comprise a material containing carbon as a main component.

17. The electrolyte composition according to claim 16, wherein the material containing carbon as a main component is one member or a mixture of two or more members selected from the group consisting of carbon nanotubes, carbon fibers, and carbon black.

18. The electrolyte composition according to claim 17, wherein the carbon nanotubes are either one of or a mixture of single-wall carbon nanotubes and multi-wall carbon nanotubes.

19. The electrolyte composition according to claim 11, wherein a compounding amount of the oxide semiconductor particles is not less than 0.05% by weight and not more than 70% by weight with respect to a total amount of the electrolyte composition.

20. The electrolyte composition according to claim 12, wherein a total compounding amount of the oxide semiconductor particles and the conductive particles is not less than 0.05% by weight and not more than 70% by weight with respect to a total amount of the electrolyte composition.

21. The electrolyte composition according to claim 11, wherein a compounding amount of the oxide semiconductor particles is not less than 0.05% by weight and not more than 70% by weight with respect to the ionic liquid.

22. The electrolyte composition according to claim 12, wherein a total compounding amount of the oxide semiconductor particles and the conductive particles is not less than 0.05% by weight and not more than 70% by weight with respect to the ionic liquid.

23. A photoelectric conversion element comprising the electrolyte composition according to claim 11 contained as an electrolyte.

24. A photoelectric conversion element, comprising:

a working electrode, the working electrode comprising an electrode substrate and an oxide semiconductor porous film formed on the electrode substrate and sensitized with a dye;

a counter electrode disposed opposing the working electrode; and

an electrolyte layer made of the electrolyte composition according to claim 11 provided between the working electrode and the counter electrode.

25. A dye-sensitized photovoltaic cell, comprising:

a working electrode, the working electrode comprising an electrode substrate and an oxide semiconductor porous film formed on the electrode substrate and sensitized with a dye;

a counter electrode disposed opposing the working electrode; and

an electrolyte layer made of the electrolyte composition according to claim 11 provided between the working electrode and the counter electrode.

34. The electrolyte composition according to claim 16, wherein the material containing carbon as a main component includes carbon nanotubes, carbon fibers, carbon black, and the like.

26. An electrolyte composition comprising an ionic liquid and insulating particles.

27. The electrolyte composition according to claim 26 further comprising a gelling agent.

28. The electrolyte composition according to claim 26, wherein the insulating particles are one member or a mixture of both members selected from the group consisting of diamond and boron nitride.

29. The electrolyte composition according to claim 26, wherein a compounding amount of the insulating particles is no less than 0.05% by weight and no more than 70% by weight with respect to a total amount of the electrolyte composition.

30. A photoelectric conversion element comprising the electrolyte composition according to claim 26 as an electrolyte.

31. A photoelectric conversion element, comprising:

a working electrode, the working electrode comprising an electrode substrate and an oxide semiconductor porous film formed on the electrode substrate and sensitized with a dye;

a counter electrode disposed opposing the working electrode; and

an electrolyte layer made of the electrolyte composition according to claim 26 provided between the working electrode and the counter electrode.

32. A dye-sensitized photovoltaic cell, comprising:

a working electrode, the working electrode comprising an electrode substrate and an oxide semiconductor porous film formed on the electrode substrate and sensitized with a dye;

a counter electrode disposed opposing the working electrode; and

an electrolyte layer made of the electrolyte composition according to claim 26 provided between the working electrode and the counter electrode.