Recently, Associate Professor Qianfu Luo and Associate Researcher Wenjun Wu from the School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering at East China University of Science and Technology published their latest educational research in smart controllable dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) in the Journal of Chemical Education.
With the increasing contribution of green energy, especially solar energy, to the energy structure, DSSCs, as the only type of molecular photovoltaic device, have attracted extensive attention from chemistry educators. Based on their previous research, this teaching team introduced a spiropyran unit into the π-unit of the DSSC sensitizer. They developed an integrated experiment course that creatively focuses on the synthesis of photosensitizers with controllable photoelectric output and the assembly of photovoltaic devices. This course, which is highly advanced, innovative, and challenging, guides students through a step-by-step, modular approach, starting with the molecular design of photochromic sensitizers. Students then proceed to determine the synthesis process, prepare and purify the sensitizers, characterize the sensitizer structure and photoelectric performance, assemble the DSSCs, and utilize the light-controlled unit to regulate the photoelectric conversion performance. This experiment course seamlessly integrates teaching and research, stimulating students' scientific thinking and research interests, and fostering their comprehensive problem-solving skills and higher-order thinking.
Image source: Journal of Chemical Education
Relevant paper information: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.3c00846
