Researchers to design alternative to traditional photovoltaic cell

Andalusian scientists of the University of Cadiz and Pablo de Olavide University (Seville) are working on a project to improve photoelectrochemical solar cells performance, an alternative to the silicon cells that are normally used.

Silicon is the semi-conduit used in most photovoltaic solar cells that are commercialised and despite its optimum efficiency in the exploitation of solar energy; it is a material with high production costs.

The alternative to using silicon sheets are Photoelectrochemical Solar Cells or DSSC (Dye Sensitised Solar Cells). These sheets are well-known for using titanium dioxide as an electrical semi-conduit which is economical and known for a long time as the basis of chemical photography.

These sheets consist of two transparent pieces of glass that are electrical conduits between which there is a semi-conduit layer of titanium dioxide with an absorbed colouring and an electrolytic dissolution of iodine and potassium iodure.

Experts calculate the thermal sensibility of the absorbed colouring, then calculate the photoconverting effectiveness of the cells, and in general, obtain a higher exploitation of the light through these cells by means of using the appropriate tools.

According to Andalucía Investiga, the disadvantage with using titanium dioxide is that it can only absorb ultraviolet radiation, which is a minimum part of the radiation from the sun. In order to solve this difficulty, the colouring is linked to the semi-conduit.