A dye-sensitized photo-supercapacitor enabled by commercial carbon-based intermediate electrodes

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-1-2026

Abstract

A dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) employing a Titania (TiO₂) photoanode sensitized with N3 dye was integrated with a carbon-based supercapacitor to form a three-electrode photo-supercapacitor device. In this architecture, a double-sided carbon-based electrode functions as a dual-purpose intermediate electrode, serving simultaneously as the counter electrode for the DSSC: facilitating efficient redox electrolyte regeneration and as an electrode in an electric double-layer capacitor for energy storage. Four commercially available carbon-based materials, namely, graphite, activated carbon, mesoporous carbon (MC), and graphene, were systematically evaluated as intermediate electrodes to assess their influence on device performance. Prior to integration, the standalone DSSC and supercapacitor components were characterized independently. The DSSC achieved a maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 3.26% when graphite was used as the counter electrode, while the supercapacitor exhibited a maximum specific capacitance of 43.7 F g−1 with MC electrodes. The integrated photo-supercapacitor device was subsequently evaluated under simulated solar illumination (100 mW cm−2) using constant-current and constant-voltage charging protocols. The integrated system delivered a maximum PCE of 3.10% and a specific capacitance of 40.0 F g−1 when MC was employed as the intermediate electrode, demonstrating effective photo-charging behavior and energy storage capability. These results highlight the viability of using commercially available carbon materials as multifunctional intermediate electrodes for practical and scalable dye-sensitized photo-supercapacitor systems.

Publication Title

Sustainability Science and Technology

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