title: A comprehensive comparison of dye-sensitized NiO photocathodes for solar energy conversion.
abstract: We investigated a range of different mesoporous NiO electrodes prepared by different research groups and private firms in Europe to determine the parameters which influence good quality photoelectrochemical devices. This benchmarking study aims to solve some of the discrepancies in the literature regarding the performance of p-DSCs due to differences in the quality of the device fabrication. The information obtained will lay the foundation for future photocatalytic systems based on sensitized NiO so that new dyes and catalysts can be tested with a standardized material. The textural and electrochemical properties of the semiconducting material are key to the performance of photocathodes. We found that both commercial and non-commercial NiO gave promising solar cell and water-splitting devices. The NiO samples which had the two highest solar cell efficiency (0.145% and 0.089%) also gave the best overall theoretical H2 conversion.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, The University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, The University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
authors.forename: Gareth H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Summers
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, The University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
authors.forename: Charlotte A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Chimie et Biologie des Métaux, Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kaeffer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Photonic Technology (IPHT) Jena e. V., Albert-Einstein-Straße 9, D-07745 Jena, Germany and Institute for Physical Chemistry and Abbe Center of Photonics, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, Helmholtzweg 4, D-07743 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Maximilian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Braeutigam
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Lea Roberta
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry-Ångström, Uppsala University, Box 259, SE-751 05 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: D'Amario
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: CEISAM, Chimie et Interdisciplinarité, Synthèse, Analyse, Modélisation, CNRS, UMR 6230, Faculté des Sciences et des Techniques Université de Nantes, 2, rue de la Houssinière, BP 92208, 44322 NANTES Cedex 3, France.
authors.forename: Yoann
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Farré
authors.affiliation: Solaronix, rue de l'Ouriette 129, CH-1170 Aubonne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Narbey
authors.affiliation: Solaronix, rue de l'Ouriette 129, CH-1170 Aubonne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oswald
authors.affiliation: Division of Materials, Mechanics and Structures, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
authors.forename: Lee A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.affiliation: Nottingham Nanotechnology and Nanoscience Centre, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher D J
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Parmenter
authors.affiliation: Nottingham Nanotechnology and Nanoscience Centre, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Fay
authors.affiliation: Nottingham Nanotechnology and Nanoscience Centre, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: La Torre
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
authors.forename: Colin E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Snape
authors.affiliation: Institute of Photonic Technology (IPHT) Jena e. V., Albert-Einstein-Straße 9, D-07745 Jena, Germany and Institute for Physical Chemistry and Abbe Center of Photonics, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena, Helmholtzweg 4, D-07743 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dietzek
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Danilo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dini
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry-Ångström, Uppsala University, Box 259, SE-751 05 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Leif
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hammarström
authors.affiliation: CEISAM, Chimie et Interdisciplinarité, Synthèse, Analyse, Modélisation, CNRS, UMR 6230, Faculté des Sciences et des Techniques Université de Nantes, 2, rue de la Houssinière, BP 92208, 44322 NANTES Cedex 3, France.
authors.forename: Yann
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Pellegrin
authors.affiliation: CEISAM, Chimie et Interdisciplinarité, Synthèse, Analyse, Modélisation, CNRS, UMR 6230, Faculté des Sciences et des Techniques Université de Nantes, 2, rue de la Houssinière, BP 92208, 44322 NANTES Cedex 3, France.
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Odobel
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Licheng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Chimie et Biologie des Métaux, Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Artero
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, The University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Gibson