Investigation of conductivity, SEM, XRD studies of Mg2+ ion based TiO2 nanocomposite PVDF-HFP polymer electrolyte and application in a dye sensitized solar cell

Mallikarjun A.; Siva Kumar J.; Sreekanth T.; Sangeetha Mahendrakar; Maheshwar Reddy Mettu; Vikranth Reddy M.; Jaipal Reddy M.

doi:10.1515/polyeng-2021-0306

Article

Investigation of conductivity, SEM, XRD studies of Mg²⁺ ion based TiO₂ nanocomposite PVDF-HFP polymer electrolyte and application in a dye sensitized solar cell

Mallikarjun A. , Siva Kumar J. , Sreekanth T. , Sangeetha Mahendrakar , Maheshwar Reddy Mettu , Vikranth Reddy M. and Jaipal Reddy M.

Published/Copyright: August 11, 2022

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From the journal Journal of Polymer Engineering Volume 42 Issue 10

Abstract

The potential effect of nano TiO₂ in poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) based polymer electrolyte and their application in a dye sensitized solar cell have been investigated. The solution casting process was used for fabrication of nano TiO₂ loaded in Mg²⁺ ion based PVDF-HFP solid polymer electrolyte (SPE), and characterized using conductivity, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and photovoltaic studies. XRD investigations reveal the broadening of specific peaks, which shows the occurrence of α, β and γ polymorphous phase transitions that commence the amorphous character and ion mobility. The SEM pictures revealed an interconnecting network of micro-porous nature, and an average diameter of the pores of ∼0.38 µm was obtained by using Gaussian curve fitting. Ion transport is facilitated by the high concentration of pores, which is responsible for the efficient absorption of a significant amount of electrolyte. The photovoltaic characteristics of dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) estimated efficiency (η) is 9.9999%, and the fill factor is 0.84. Furthermore, the stability performance of the nanocomposite polymer electrolyte was improved and sufficient for use over an extended length of time, suggesting potential applications as a separator in solid state ionic conductors.

Keywords: counter electrode; dye sensitized solar cell; fill factor; photo anode; photo voltaic

Corresponding authors: Siva Kumar J., Department of Physics, Osmania University, Hyderabad, Telangana, India, E-mail: j_siva_k@yahoo.com; and Jaipal Reddy M., Department of Physics, Palamur University, Mahabubnagar, Telangana, India, E-mail: mjaipalreddy@gmail.com

Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
Research funding: None declared.
Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding this article.

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Received: 2021-11-26

Accepted: 2022-06-16

Published Online: 2022-08-11

Published in Print: 2022-11-25

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/polyeng-2021-0306

Keywords for this article

counter electrode; dye sensitized solar cell; fill factor; photo anode; photo voltaic