A PLASTICIZED POLYMER-ELECTROLYTE-BASED PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL SOLAR-CELL

A photoelectrochemical solar cell based on an n-GaAs/polymer-redox-ele ctrolyte junction is reported. Di(ethylene glycol)ethyl ether acrylate containing ferrocene as a redox species and benzoin methyl ether as a photoinitiator is polymerized in situ. Propylene carbonate is used as a plasticizer to improve the conductivity of the polymer redox electr olyte. For thin (1 mu m) polymer electrolytes, the series resistance o f the cell is negligible. However, the short-circuit photocurrent dens ity of the cell at light intensities above 10 mW/cm(2) is limited by m ass transport of redox species within the polymer matrix. At a light i ntensity of 70 mW/cm(2), a moderate light-to-electrical energy convers ion efficiency (3.1%) is obtained. The interfacial charge-transfer pro perties of the cell in the dark and under illumination are studied.