Photo-induced changes and contact relaxation of the surface AC-conductivity of the paper prepared from poly(ethyleneimine)–TiO<inf>2</inf>–anthocyanin modified cellulose fibers

Abstract

Poly(ethyleneimine)–TiO2–anthocyanin modified cellulose fiber sheets were prepared as a support material for dye-sensitized solar cells. The study is focused on the effects of different anthocyanins on the photo-induced changes and contact relaxation of the surface AC-conductivity of the papers. The anthocyanins were extracted from purple cabbage, beet-root, plum peel, red vine and red currant juice. The results showed that there were pronounced contact relaxation effects at the interfaces between alumina electrode and the papers, which were further affected by the presence of anthocyanins. The electrode effects are mainly manifested by a decrease in conductance, which falls by about 30 % from its initial value about 400 min after the beginning of the experiment carried out in the dark. The illumination of the samples induces an increase in the magnitude of the observed changes in conductance but does not affect the nature of the relaxation processes. By estimating the temperature coefficients of conductivity of the papers and the changes in temperature during the illumination of the samples, we succeeded to separate the effects of heating from the total effects of illumination on the conductance and susceptance of the papers.