Thermal stress effects on Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs)

Please cite this article in press as: Bari D et al. j.microrel.2011.07.061 Since the DSSCs gain heat during exposure to sunlight increasing its own temperature, we have studied the role of temperature on the degradation of DSSCs. We have performed pure thermal stresses keeping the devices at a constant temperature inside a climatic chamber and monitoring the electrical parameters during stress. We found that temperature alone strongly impacts on the DSSC performances, enhancing the degradation of the sensitizer and then reducing the photo-generated current. 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.