# US 2014/0190567 A1 · Additives for dye-sensitized solar cells

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- Number: US 2014/0190567 A1
- Document ID: US20140190567A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/240,922
- Filed: 2012-08-20
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2011-08-25
- Assignees: Merck Patent GmbH
- Inventors: Kentaro Kawata; Tomohisa Goto; Hiroki Yoshizaki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190567A1

## CPC

- H01G 9/2004: {characterised by the electrolyte, e.g. comprising an organic electrolyte}
- C07D 233/56: with only hydrogen atoms or radicals containing only hydrogen and carbon atoms, attached to ring carbon atoms
- C09K 9/02: Organic tenebrescent materials
- H01G 9/2059: {comprising an organic dye as the active light absorbing material, e.g. adsorbed on an electrode or dissolved in solution}
- C09K 2211/1044: containing two nitrogen atoms as heteroatoms
- Y02E 10/542: Dye sensitized solar cells
- H01G: CAPACITORS; CAPACITORS, RECTIFIERS, DETECTORS, SWITCHING DEVICES, LIGHT-SENSITIVE OR TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE DEVICES OF THE ELECTROLYTIC TYPE (selection of specified materials as dielectric H01B3/00; capacitors having potential barriers H10D1/62, H10K10/10)
- C07D: HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS (macromolecular compounds C08)
- C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

The present invention relates to the use of at least one imidazol derivative of formula I or 1-(3,3,4,4,4-pentafluorobutyl)-1H-imidazole, 1-(3,3,4,4,4-pentafluorobutyl)-1,2,3-triazole or 1-(2′-thioethyl)ethylimidazole as additive in dye-sensitized solar cells and to special electrolyte formulations and a dye-sensitized solar cell comprising at least one compound of formula I or 1-(3,3,4,4,4-pentafluorobutyl)-1H-imidazole, 1-(3,3,4,4,4-pentafluorobutyl)-1,2,3-triazole or 1-(2′-thioethyl)ethylimidazole.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A compound of formula I
in which
Ra, Rb, Rc, Rd and Re independently of each other are
H, F, Cl or
straight-chain or branched alkyl with 1 to 20 C atoms which optionally may be partially or fully fluorinated or chlorinated,
n is 1, 2, 3 or 4,
m is 1, 2, 3 or 4.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A compound according to claim 1 in which Ra, Rb, Rc, Rd and Re in the at least one compound of formula I are independently of each other H or F.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A compound according to claim 1 in which Ra, Rb, Rc, Rd and Re in the at least one compound of formula I are H.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

Electroyte formulation comprising at least one compound of formula I according to claim 1 together with redox active species.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The electrolyte formulation according to claim 4 wherein the redox active species is a combination of iodine and at least one iodide salt.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The electrolyte formulation according to claim 5 comprising the at least one compound of formula I in concentrations from 0.01 to 30 weight %.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The electrolyte formulation according to claim 4 comprising at least one compound having a tetracyanoborate anion, a dicyanodifluoroborate anion and/or a fluorotricyanoborate anion.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The electrolyte formulation according to claim 4 comprising at least one salt having an iodide or a thiocyanate anion and its cation is an inorganic cation, a guanidinium cation or a protonated amine.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The electrolyte formulation according to claim 8 comprising at least one salt having an iodide or a thiocyanate anion and its cation is a protonated amine.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A dye-sensitized solar cell comprising a dye-sensitized electrode and comprising at least one compound of formula I according to claim 1.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

A device according to claim 10 wherein the at least one compound of formula I is contained in the electrolytic solution.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The compound of claim 1, which is 1-(3,3,4,4,4-pentafluorobutyl)-1H-imidazole or 1-(3,3,4,4,4-pentafluorobutyl)-1,2,3-triazole as additive in dye-sensitized solar cells.

### Claim 13 (depends on 4)

Electrolyte formulation of claim 4 comprising at least 1-(3,3,4,4,4-pentafluorobutyl)-1H-imidazole or 1-(3,3,4,4,4-pentafluorobutyl)-1,2,3-triazole together with redox active species.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The compound of claim 1, which is 1-(2′-thioethyl)ethylimidazole as additive in dye-sensitized solar cells.

### Claim 15 (depends on 4)

Electrolyte formulation of claim 4 comprising at least 1-(2′-thioethyl)ethylimidazole together with redox active species.