Synthesis of Camphor Sulfonic Acid (CSA) Doped Polyaniline in m-Cresol and Its Application in Dye Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC)

• Main Author: Ayu Citra Widhi Utami, Gusti
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Kimia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/38239
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Dye Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) is solar cells that use a dye to produce the electric current. DSSC is composed by four basic components that are photo-anode, dye, electrolyte, and counter electrode. The DSSC system needs a material for the counter electrode which has high electro-catalytic activity to reduce I3-. During this time, the counter electrode used is a conductive glass coated by platinum metal. Platinum (Pt) is a metal with high electrical conductivity and electro-catalytic activity but the price is so expensive which makes the DSSC fabrication cost becomes high. Because of that, in this research has been developed the counter electrode to change the platinum metal and conductive glass with conductive polymers such as polyaniline (PANI). PANI doped by CSA in m-cresol as a solvent has been known have a high conductivity therefore PANI/CSA is mixed with carbon-based materials that are graphite and activated carbon in this research. Graphite is used because it has high electrical conductivity and activated carbon is used because it has good electro-catalytic activity. PANI/CSA is synthesized by oxidative polymerization reaction of aniline using ammonium persulfate (APS) as an initiator, continued by dedoping process using ammonium hydroxide, then redoping process using CSA in m-cresol as its solvent. Synthesized PANI/CSA is characterized by AC Impedance Spectroscopy, FT-IR Spectroscopy, and Raman Spectroscopy. DSSC fabrication step includes the fabrication of TiO2 thin film, the blend pasta fabrication of PANI/CSA - graphite and PANI/CSA - activated carbon as a counter electrode, electrolyte insertion, and the integration of all components. DSSC is characterized using solar simulator ORIEL S013A and V-I Keithley 2400. The success of CSA doping process in PANI is shown in FT-IR absorption spectrum where the peaks in wave number 1716 and 1011 cm-1 indicates C=O and S=O bond of CSA. The Raman measurements indicate a change in the composition of benzenoid and quinonoid ring constituent chains becomes semiquinonoid with the presence of Raman shift at 1624 and 852 cm-1. These peaks are stretching vibration C~C peaks and deformation peak of semiquinonoid ring. The maximum conductivity of PANI/CSA is 38 Scm-1 which produced when the mol fraction of CSA in PANI is 0.36 (doping level = 56%). DSSC that uses this PANI/CSA produced conversion efficiency 2.57% when blended with graphite and 3.14% when blended with activated carbon (PANI/CSA concentration is 25% w/w).