Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Harnessing Solar Energy: Vapor Phase Polymerized Poly(3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene) For Solid State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells And The Photodegradation Of Organic Toxicants, Steven M. Boyer

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Solar energy is the most abundant energy resource available and can be utilized for a variety of applications such as photovoltaics and promote chemical reactions. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are a class of photovoltaic cells that have been well studied for their low cost and environmentally friendly materials. Previous research focused on developing more efficient liquid phase solar cells, but little work has gone into solid state DSSCs. Moving towards the solid state would improve the lifetime of the cells, preventing leaking of electrolyte and corrosion of the electrode while potentially being a more scalable process for mass production, improving …