Synthesis of Crosslinked Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose with Methyl Gallate-Poly(Ethylene Glycol) as a Gel Electrolyte for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) is blended with methyl gallate (MG) encapsulated with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and then mixed with a liquid electrolyte to prepare a polymer gel electrolyte. The structural and physical properties of prepared polymer gels are analyzed by various analytical instruments. The MG-PEG-HPMC hybrid is found to be able for entrapping a large amount of liquid electrolyte and is used to fabricate dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). This polymer gel electrolyte shows high ionic conductivity (5.43 x 10(-4) S cm(-1)) and good triiodide diffusion coefficient (2.25 x 10(-6) cm(2) s(-1)). The resulting DSSCs show an efficiency of 6.96% at a light intensity of 85 mW cm(-2). The long-term stability test reveals that the fabricated DSSCs will be stable even after 500 h. The benefits of incorporating a gel electrolyte into DSSCs are highlighted along with factors affecting the stability of these devices. The use of these bio-based materials has the potential to make a significant contribution to the widespread exploitation of stable, efficient, and low-cost dye-sensitive solar cells.