Durrant, JamesO'Regan, BrianAnderson, Assaf YAssaf YAnderson2011-01-252011-01-252010http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/6181A limiting factor on DSSC efficiency is the lower fraction of the solar spectrum that is absorbed by the dye molecules developed to this point. Dye molecules that function well in DSSCs tend to have poor or no absorption to the red of 750 nm. Extending this absorption to the red by 100 nm, without losing efficiency in other ways, would result in a significant improvement in photocurrent. This challenge has proven difficult, in large part because of one slow reaction in the electron transfer cycle of DSSCs, the regeneration reaction. Better understanding of this reaction is thus critical. The kinetics of regeneration is understudied relative to the other processes in DSSCs, this is in part because the regeneration reaction produces no, as yet detected, measurable electrical signal. It must be studied by more difficult transient absorbance (TA) techniques. The first step of this thesis focuses on isolating a reliable transient signal that reflects the regeneration reaction. This is made by upgrading the conventional TA system to also acquire transient electrical (TE) signals simultaneously (TA-TE). The system is used to characterize dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) under 1 sun illumination whilst the cells are fully operational and their stability is monitored. The second step of the work consists of the development of a methodology and a kinetic model which uses the isolated regeneration signal and a range of complimentary measurements on operating cells, to determine the quantum yield and the associated intrinsic rate constants and orders of the regeneration reaction. This enabled understanding of the regeneration mechanism and its optional rate limiting steps. Finally, the use of steady state photoinduced absorption (SSPA), as a complementary or alternative tool to assess regeneration, is also questioned. SSPA is compared with the regeneration TA –TE and charge extraction measurements.Thesis or dissertationhttps://doi.org/10.25560/6181