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Poly(vinyl chloride)-g-poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) graft copolymers templated synthesis of mesoporous TiO2 thin films for dye-sensitized solar cells

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Nanotechnology for Sustainable Development

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Abstract

A poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) main chain was grafted with poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) containing a quaternary amine group using atom transfer radical polymerization. The successful synthesis of a PVC-g-PDMAEMA graft copolymer was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, thermogravimetric analysis, and transmission electron microscopy. The PVC-g-PDMAEMA graft copolymer was used as a structure-directing agent (SDA) for the fabrication of a mesoporous thin film containing a titanium dioxide (TiO2) layer. To control the porosity of the resultant inorganic layer, the ratio of SDA to TTIP as well as the concentration of the sol–gel was varied. The structure and porosity of the mesoporous film were characterized by XRD and SEM analysis. The mesoporous TiO2 film fabricated on the FTO surface was used as a photoanode for the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). DSSC performance was the greatest when using TiO2 film with a higher porosity and lower interfacial resistance. The highest energy conversion efficiency reached 3.2 % at 100 mW/cm2, which was one of the highest reported values for a quasi-solid-state DSSC with 600-nm-thick TiO2 film.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Yonsei University, 262 Seongsanno, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 120-749, South Korea

    Rajkumar Patel, Sung Hoon Ahn, Jin Ah Seo, Sang Jin Kim & Jong Hak Kim

Authors
  1. Rajkumar Patel
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  2. Sung Hoon Ahn
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  3. Jin Ah Seo
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  4. Sang Jin Kim
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  5. Jong Hak Kim
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Correspondence to Jong Hak Kim .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Howard University, Pasadena, CA, USA

    Mamadou S. Diallo

  2. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA

    Neil A. Fromer

  3. Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Myung S. Jhon

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Special Issue Editors: Mamadou Diallo, Neil Fromer, Myung S. Jhon

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Patel, R., Ahn, S.H., Seo, J.A., Kim, S.J., Kim, J.H. (2012). Poly(vinyl chloride)-g-poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) graft copolymers templated synthesis of mesoporous TiO2 thin films for dye-sensitized solar cells. In: Diallo, M.S., Fromer, N.A., Jhon, M.S. (eds) Nanotechnology for Sustainable Development. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05041-6_17

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