Eco-friendly direct-current pulsed electropolymerization of polyaniline nanofibers on synthetic graphite substrate for counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells

ABSTRACT

This paper reports the study of the effect of varying duty cycles on the synthesis of PANI by pulsed electropolymerization method to the performance of PANI as a counter electrode in DSSC. The deposited PANI is in emeraldine salt form, confirmed by FTIR-ATR and Raman spectroscopy. SEM analysis observed that all PANIs has nanofiber morphology. PANI with a 10% duty cycle provides the smallest average diameters $\bar{X}=80nm$ and lowest film thickness (11.56 μm), lowest R_CT (59.00 Ω), lowest R_S (40.06 Ω), highest V_OC (0.688 V), and highest J_SC (9.066 mA cm⁻²) that lead to the highest performance (η = 2.402%).

graphical abstract

KEYWORDS:

• Counter electrode
• DSSC
• duty cycle
• direct-current pulsed electropolymerization
• polyaniline

Acknowledgments

This work was financially funded by the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education of the Republic of Indonesia (Menristekdikti) under the Penelitian Disertasi Doktor (PDD) Research Grant No: 2/E1/KP.PTNBH/2021. N. Fauziah acknowledges the Beasiswa Pendidikan Pascasarjana Dalam Negeri (BPPDN) Scholarship the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education of the Republic of Indonesia (Menristekdikti), for scholarship support. Immense gratitude for the assistance and support from the leaders and all the Mathematics and Science Faculty of Universitas Garut (UNIGA).

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no financial interest or personal relationship that would appear to influence the work reported in this paper.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education of the Republic of Indonesia (Menristekdikti) [Penelitian Disertasi Doktor (PDD) Research Grant No: 2/E1/KP.PTNBH/2021].

Notes on contributors

Nenden Fauziah

Nenden Fauziah was born in Indonesia. She completed her undergraduate education at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia, in 1998. She received a master’s degree in chemistry from Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia, in 2003. She was recruited as an assistant in the Department of Pharmacy at Universitas Garut in 2003. She then moved to the chemistry division at Universitas Garut in 2016. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at Institut Teknologi Bandung, focusing on graphene and conducting polymer material for DSSC applications and development. Her other research has focused on computational chemistry and natural products for pharmaceutical applications.

Wiji Lestari Khasannah

Wiji Lestari Khasanah was born in Bandung. She received a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry Education from Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (2015) under the supervision of Dr. Hernani. She also received her master’s degree from the Department of Chemistry, Division of Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, Institut Teknologi Bandung (2019), under the supervision of Dr. Veinardi Suendo. In chemistry education, she has a research interest in the development of two-tier multiple-choice diagnostic instruments. While in chemistry, she has a research interest in the development of counter electrode materials for dye-sensitized solar cells.

Gayatri Ayu Andari

Gayatri Ayu Andari was born in Indonesia. She received a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Institut Teknologi Bandung in 2020. Her research was focused on the fabrication of polyaniline film using direct-current pulsed electro-polymerization for the counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells.

Alvian Ikhsanul Fatya

Alvian Ikhsanul Fatya was born in Indonesia. He received his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry Education from (Universitas Lambung Mangkurat) Indonesia, in 2016. He received his master’s degree in chemistry from Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia, in 2020. He is currently serving as a lecturer in the Department of Chemistry Eduation, Universitas Islam Negeri Antasari. His research is focused on graphene and conducting polymer for DSSC applications and development.

Didi Prasetyo Benu

Didi Prasetyo Benu was born in Indonesia. He received his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry Education from Universitas Nusa Cendana in 2015. He received his master’s degree in Chemistry from Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia, in 2016. He is currently serving as a lecturer in the Department of Chemistry, Universitas Timor, while also pursuing a Ph.D. degree in Institut Teknologi Bandung, focusing on the morphology and crystal facet-controlled synthesis of ZnO for photocatalytic applications.

Fry Voni Steky

Fry Voni Steky completed his bachelor’s and master’s degree in chemistry at Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia, under the supervision of Dr. Veinardi Suendo in 2018 and 2021, respectively. He was recruited as an academic assistant in the Department of Chemistry at the Institut Teknologi Bandung for 2019-2021. His research interest is in the development of titania-based nanostructured oxide materials, which cover their optoelectronic properties, synthesis route, chemical modification, and molecular spectroscopies. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the Department of Chemistry, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia.

Phutri Milana

Phutri Milana was born in Indonesia. She received her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry Education from Universitas Negeri Padang in 2010. She received her master’s degree in chemistry from Institut Teknologi Bandung in 2012. She received her doctoral degree in chemistry from Institut Teknologi Bandung in 2019. Her research was focused on the study of tetraphenyl porphyrin as a sensitizer in dye-sensitized solar cells.

Rahmat Hidayat

Rahmat Hidayat graduated in Physics from Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia, in 1993. He was recruited as a junior lecturer at the Department of Physics at Institut Teknologi Bandung in 1995. He obtained his Master of Engineering from the Department of Electronic Engineering, Osaka University, Japan, in 1998. He continued his study in the same department and completed his doctoral studies in 2001 on photo-physical processes of luminescent polyacetylene derivatives under the supervision of Prof. Yoshino Katsumi. He was a postdoctoral researcher at Tohoku University from 2003-2005, focusing on developing rare-earth doped polymers for optical amplifiers. He is now an Associate Professor in Physics Study Program at Institut Teknologi Bandung and is active in teaching and research. His current research topics are organic-based solar cells, perovskite materials and solar cells, studies in electronic and optical material by first principle calculations, graphene materials, and graphene for carbon recycling.

Veinardi Suendo

Veinardi Suendo graduated in Chemistry from Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia in 1998. He was recruited as an assistant in the Department of Chemistry at the Institut Teknologi Bandung in 1999. He obtained his Master of Engineering from the Department of Organic and Polymeric Materials, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, in 2001. In the same year, he moved to France to pursue his Ph.D. at the Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, in the Department of Physics. In 2005, he completed his Ph.D. at Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et Couches Minces, Ecole Polytechnique, under the supervision of Professor Pere Roca i Cabarrocas. After returning to Institut Teknologi Bandung in 2006, he commenced his new academic career in the Department of Chemistry, where he was promoted to Lecturer in 2008. In 2013, he started a new page as an independent scientist when he was promoted to Associate Professor. His research interests include the development of new organic electronics materials based on porphyrin molecules, anthocyanins, nano carbons, and polyaniline. These cover their optoelectronic properties, synthesis route, chemical modification, wet-process device fabrications, and molecular spectroscopies.