MY Forum 2010: Fabricate your own Grätzel cell

Paula Vahermaa from the Aalto University School of Science and Technology demonstrates step by step how to build your own dye-sensitised solar cell. The video was shot at at the Millennium Youth Forum science event in Finland.

Preparations:
Cut the photoelectrode and the counterelectrode substrates from conducting glass. Cut also frame foils (with a hole in the middle) and cover foils from very thin plastic (thickness 25 µm and 45 µm).

Photoelectrode:
Prepare the photoelectrodes by spreading a thin layer of titanium dioxide on the conductive side of the substrates. Use a tape mask to spread the titanium paste. Sinter the photoelectrodes in a hot oven (485 °C) for 30 minutes. Put the photoelectrodes into the oven before heating and let them cool in the oven for about 2 hours before opening the oven.

Counter electrode:
Prepare the counter electrodes by spreading a thin layer of platinum on the conducting side of the substrates with two holes. Sinter them in a hot oven (385 °C) for about 15 minutes.

Fabricating the cells:

1. Assembly one cell at a time. Dip the photoelectrode into the dye and leave it there for 3--5 minutes. Remove the photoelectrode from the dye, clean it with ethanol and dry on a hot plate (110 °C). Let cool down for a moment and place a frame foil symmetrically on the photoelectrode and the counter electrode on top of the frame foil. Put the cell on a hot plate and press it with plastic pincers until the frame foil melts and attaches the counter electrode and the photoelectrode.

2. Take about 1 cm of electrolyte to a pipette and insert it into the cell via the other hole in the substrate. Put a plastic cover foil on top of the holes. Place a cover glass on top of the foil and press it gently with a heat press.

3. Your solar cell is ready! Test it by measuring its voltage under illumination.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Millennium
• Technology
• Prize
• Academy
• Finland
• Michael
• Grätzel
• make
• your
• own
• dye-sensitized
• solar
• cell

[dl4breeze]

simple but amazing, but how did you such clean cut small holes?

[millenniumprize]

@dl4breeze: the holes are made with a small drill. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[Jacknotzak]

I have a bunch of questions:

Will it work with Povodone-iodine or Potassium triiodide dissolved in water, assuming that the cell is not going to be used for more than a day?

Can we substitute a sheet of metal for the conductive glass which is to be covered platinized, with the same assumption?

And lastly, can the glass be cleaned and reused to make another solar cell?

Thank you!

[GiacomoSartor]

Very simple, clear and effective! But is this the original procedure invented by M. Grätzel? Because I attended an experiment about the Grätzel cell, and we built it in a slightly different way.. If you would like to check it, I described it in my video "Cella di Grätzel - Giacomo Sartor - PLS 2010/11 " .. What do you think?