Virtual Device Simulator of Bipolar Photogalvanic Cell

Hidenobu SHIROISHI^a*, Yuuki KABURAGI^a, Michiko SEO^a, Takayuki HOSHI^a, Tomoyo NOMURA^a, Sumio TOKITA^b and Masao KANEKO^a,§

(Received: July 18, 2001; Accepted for publication: November 28, 2001; Published on Web: February 6, 2002)

A virtual bipolar photogalvanic cell was developed using Visual Basic. On the basis of the simulation, it is indicated that the charge separation (k_d) and the charge recombination (k_r) rate constants can be estimated using the photocurrent response. The thickness of the charge separation region can be anticipated by photocurrent response at various layer thicknesses. The increase in diffusion coefficients raises the short-circuit photocurrent to enhance the performance of the photogalvanic cell. An actual device was fabricated using tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) complex ([Ru(bpy)₃²⁺]) as a sensitizer and Prussian Blue as a mediator. This device worked as a photogalvanic cell: short-circuit photocurrent (J_SC), 2.3mA/cm²; open-circuit photovoltage (V_OC), 0.118V; fill-factor, 20.5 %. It was shown from the action spectrum that electrons are transferred from [Ru(bpy)₃^2+*] to Prussian Blue. The charge separation and the recombination rate constants were estimated, using the virtual device, to be 5 × 10² mol^-1cm³s^-1 and 6 × 10⁹ mol^-1cm³s^-1, respectively.

Keywords: Bipolar photogalvanic cell, Virtual device, Simulation, Methylviologen, Tris(bipyridine)ruthenium

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