Investigation of Structural, Optical, Thermal, and Electrochemical Properties of LiClO4 Salt added PVC Polymer Electrolytes for Solar Cell Applications

To create new solar cell electrolytes, we combine polyvinyl chloride (PVC) matrices with lithium perchlorate (LiClO4) salt. The solution-cast approach was used to create PVC/LiClO4 thin films. The structural, morphological, optical, thermal, and electrochemical characteristics of these produced thin films were extensively characterized using conventional techniques. By adding additional LiClO4 salt to the PVC polymer, XRD analysis shows reduced crystalline peaks, resulting in increased light absorption and reduced crystallinity. Electrolytes' structural integrity was improved by the polymer matrix's uniform LiClO4 distribution, as seen by SEM scans. LiClO4 and PVC interactions may be explored by FTIR and UV spectra, which reveal considerable absorption band changes. Polymer and salt are likely well-coordinated. LiClO4 enhanced thermal stability of PVC-based electrolytes in solar cell setups, as shown by TGA-DTA data. A study found that adding LiClO4 salt to PVC polymer increased ionic conductivity, indicating that electrolytes made of PVC and LiClO4 might enhance solar cell efficiency. Using the best polymer electrolyte sample, solar cells with 1.718% efficiency and 0.460 fill factor emerged, indicating that LiClO4 doped PVC polymer electrolyte may enhance solar cell lifetime and efficiency. This might lead to innovative energy conversion technology. (c) 2025 The Electrochemical Society ("ECS"). Published on behalf of ECS by IOP Publishing Limited. All rights, including fortext and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies, are reserved.