Silver Nanowires Modified Flexible Dye-Sensitive Solar Cells and Application With the Internet of Things Under Low Illumination

Silver nanowires (AgNWs) possess excellent mechanical strength, electrical conductivity, and superior flexibility, thus making them exceptional candidates for dopant nanometal. A photoanode modified with AgNWs-titanium dioxide (TiO
₂
) composite film was prepared and used in flexible dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The AgNWs were synthesized by a stable polyol method. We employed the field-emission scanning electron microscope and an X-ray diffractometer to characterize the AgNWs. The measurement of the photovoltaic parameters of flexible DSSCs in the basic environment was conducted (air mass (AM) 1.5, 100 mW/cm
²
). Compared with the flexible DSSC based on pure TiO
₂
, the flexible DSSCs based on AgNWs-TiO
₂
had a higher short-circuit current density and photovoltaic conversion efficiency, and the efficiency was increased by 37.40%. The impedance among the photoanode, dye, and electrolyte interface was identified by the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. We also employed filters to better investigate the photovoltaic conversion efficiency at low incident light intensity. Furthermore, the flexible DSSCs devices were interfaced with an IoT system for the measurement of the stability of flexible DSSCs under long-term use to occur. We measured the flexible DSSCs continuously for 30 days. The photovoltaic conversion efficiency was lost only 10% in 20 days. This suggests that the flexible DSSCs have good mechanical stability, and the adhesion between the AgNWs-TiO
₂
photoanodes and the flexible substrate.