Laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry of dye-sensitized solar cells : identification of the dye-electrolyte interaction

• Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) have great potential to provide sustainable electricity from sunlight. The photoanode in DSCs consists of a dye-sensitized metal oxide film deposited on a conductive substrate. This configuration makes the photoanode a perfect sample for laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS). We applied LDI-MS for the study of molecular interactions between a dye and electrolyte on the surface of a TiO2 photoanode. We found that a dye containing polyoxyethylene groups forms complexes with alkali metal cations from the electrolyte, while a dye substituted with alkoxy groups does not. Guanidinium ion forms adducts with neither of the two dyes.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Fysikalisk kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Physical Chemistry (hsv//eng)

Keyword

laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

dye-sensitized solar cells

aqueous electrolytes

cyanoacrylic acid-based dyes

polyether chains

Chemistry with specialization in Physical Chemistry

Kemi med inriktning mot fysikalisk kemi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)