Multiworking Electrode Flexible Fiber-Type Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells

Flexible fiber-type CdS quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (CdS FF-QDSSCs), in which all the components are assembled into a flexible plastic capillary tube, are designed and fabricated. In each FF-QDSSC, a Pt wire along the capillary tube axis acts as the counter electrode. A number of surrounding Ti wires coated with CdS-sensitized ZnO nanorods act as the working electrodes. This design provides the cells with good flexibility and all-direction light harvesting capability. The photovoltaic performances of the FF-QDSSCs can be effectively improved by increasing the number of the working electrodes up to six. The conversion efficiency of the cell with six working electrodes (FF-QDSSC-6) is more than five times that of the cell with only one working electrode. Furthermore, for simultaneously illuminating the cell from all the directions perpendicular to the capillary tube, an Al reflector is placed behind the cell. This measure raised the maximum power output of an FF-QDSSC-6 by 55%.