title: Highly catalytic carbon nanotube/Pt nanohybrid-based transparent counter electrode for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells.
abstract: Low-cost transparent counter electrodes (CEs) for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are prepared by using nanohybrids of carbon nanotube (CNT)-supported platinum nanoparticles as highly active catalysts. The nanohybrids, synthesized by an ionic-liquid-assisted sonochemical method, are directly deposited on either rigid glass or flexible plastic substrates by a facile electrospray method for operation as CEs. Their electrochemical performances are examined by cyclic voltammetry, current density-voltage characteristics, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. The CNT/Pt hybrid films exhibit high electrocatalytic activity for I(-)/I(3)(-) with a weak dependence on film thickness. A transparent CNT/Pt hybrid CE film about 100 nm thick with a transparency of about 70% (at 550 nm) can result in a high power conversion efficiency (η) of over 8.5%, which is comparable to that of pyrolysis platinum-based DSSCs, but lower cost. Furthermore, DSSC based on flexible CNT/Pt hybrid CE using indium-doped tin oxide-coated polyethylene terephthalate as the substrate also exhibits η=8.43% with J(sc)=16.85 mA cm(-2), V(oc)=780 mV, and FF=0.64, and this shows great potential in developing highly efficient flexible DSSCs.
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinorganic and Synthetic Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hong-Yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jin-Yun
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Bing-Xin
authors.initials: BX
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Dai-Bin
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Kuang
authors.forename: Yueping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Cheng-Yong
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Su
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D058266:Dielectric Spectroscopy; D011211:Electric Power Supplies; D004566:Electrodes; D007204:Indium / Q000737:chemistry; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010984:Platinum / Q000737:chemistry*; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates / Q000737:chemistry; D012993:Solar Energy
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; D007204:Indium; D010984:Platinum