title: One-Pot Solvothermal in Situ Growth of 1D Single-Crystalline NiSe on Ni Foil as Efficient and Stable Transparent Conductive Oxide Free Counter Electrodes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.
abstract: One-dimensional single-crystal nanostructural nickel selenides were successfully in situ grown on metal nickel foils by two simple one-step solvothermal methods, which formed NiSe/Ni counter electrodes (CEs) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The nickel foil acted as the nickel source in the reaction process, a supporting substrate, and an electron transport "speedway". Electrochemical testing indicated that the top 1D single-crystal NiSe exhibited prominent electrocatalytic activity for I3-reduction. Due to the metallic conductivity of Ni substrate and the outstanding electrocatalytic activity of single-crystal NiSe, the DSSC based on a NiSe/Ni CE exhibited higher fill factor (FF) and larger short-circuit current density (Jsc) than the DSSC based on Pt/FTO CE. The corresponding power conversion efficiency (6.75%) outperformed that of the latter (6.18%). Moreover, the NiSe/Ni CEs also showed excellent electrochemical stability in the I-/I3-redox electrolyte. These findings indicated that single-crystal NiSe in situ grown on Ni substrate was a potential candidate to replace Pt/TCO as a cheap and highly efficient counter electrode of DSSC.
authors.affiliation: College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, College of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Hubei Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for New Energy Microgrid, China Three Gorges University , Yichang 443002, China.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.affiliation: College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, College of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Hubei Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for New Energy Microgrid, China Three Gorges University , Yichang 443002, China.
authors.forename: Faxin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, College of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Hubei Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for New Energy Microgrid, China Three Gorges University , Yichang 443002, China.
authors.forename: Jiali
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, College of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Hubei Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for New Energy Microgrid, China Three Gorges University , Yichang 443002, China.
authors.forename: Panpan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, College of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Hubei Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for New Energy Microgrid, China Three Gorges University , Yichang 443002, China.
authors.forename: Niu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, College of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Hubei Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for New Energy Microgrid, China Three Gorges University , Yichang 443002, China.
authors.forename: Yihua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: GuangXi Key Laboratory of New Energy and Building Energy Saving, Guilin University of Technology , Guilin 541004, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: GuangXi Key Laboratory of New Energy and Building Energy Saving, Guilin University of Technology , Guilin 541004, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, College of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Hubei Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for New Energy Microgrid, China Three Gorges University , Yichang 443002, China.
authors.forename: Xiaohua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
keywords: counter electrode; dye-sensitized solar cells; electrocatalytic activity; in situ growth; nickel selenide