Improvement of the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells with fluorinated carbon-based liquid crystal dopant

Abstract The long-term stability of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) can be improved using a liquid crystal (LC) dopant. However, the high viscosity of the LC dopant reduces the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of these cells. In this study, low-viscosity LC is doped into the DSSCs. The results indicate that the polar fluoro groups of the LCs effectively interact with the cyano groups of the organic solvent in the liquid electrolyte, enhancing the long-term stability of the DSSCs. The viscosity of the LC dopant is a key factor that affects the light–to–electrical energy conversion efficiency of the LC-doped DSSCs. The short-current density and related PCE of the DSSCs is not reduced because of the low viscosity of the doped fluorinated carbon-based LCs.