title: Optically transparent FTO-free cathode for dye-sensitized solar cells.
abstract: The woven fabric containing electrochemically platinized tungsten wire is an affordable flexible cathode for liquid-junction dye-sensitized solar cells with the I3(-)/I(-) redox mediator and electrolyte solution consisting of ionic liquids and propionitrile. The fabric-based electrode outperforms the thermally platinized FTO in serial ohmic resistance and charge-transfer resistance for triiodide reduction, and it offers comparable or better optical transparency in the visible and particularly in the near-IR spectral region. The electrode exhibits good stability during electrochemical loading and storage at open circuit. The dye-sensitized solar cells with a C101-sensitized titania photoanode and either Pt-W/PEN or Pt-FTO cathodes show a comparable performance.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces, Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology , CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ladislav
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kavan
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liska
authors.forename: Shaik M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Zakeeruddin
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grätzel
keywords: dye-sensitized solar cell; electrochemical impedance spectroscopy; tungsten electrode; woven fabric