title: Liquid phase high shear exfoliated graphene nanoplatelets as counter electrode material for dye-sensitized solar cells.
abstract: Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) are prepared from natural graphite by a simple and low-cost liquid phase high shear exfoliation method. The as-prepared GNPs are used as a counter electrode (CE) material for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). To confirm the Exfoliated GNPs, structural and morphological studies are carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) studies. The electrochemical behaviour of GNPs as a counter electrode material is evaluated and compared with standard Platinum (Pt) electrode using cyclic-voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). These studies indicated that electrocatalytic activity towards I-/I3-redox mediator exhibited by the GNPs based electrode is comparable to standard Pt counter electrodes. DSSCs are fabricated using the counter electrodes made of GNPs and the photo-conversion efficiency is found to be 6.23% under standard test conditions, which is comparable to Pt based DSSCs proving them as potential alternative materials for counter electrodes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Metallurgical Engineering & Materials Science, Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India.
authors.forename: Siva Sankar
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Nemala
authors.affiliation: Department of Metallurgical Engineering & Materials Science, Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India.
authors.forename: Purnendu
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kartikay
authors.affiliation: Department of Metallurgical Engineering & Materials Science, Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India.
authors.forename: Sateesh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prathapani
authors.affiliation: Tata Steel R&D, University of Warwick Science Park, Sir William Lyons Road, Coventry CV4 7EZ, UK.
authors.forename: H L Mallika
authors.initials: HLM
authors.lastname: Bohm
authors.affiliation: Department of Metallurgical Engineering & Materials Science, Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India.
authors.forename: Parag
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bhargava
authors.affiliation: Department of Metallurgical Engineering & Materials Science, Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India; Talga Technologies Ltd UK, Future Business Centre, King Hedges Road, Cambridge CB4 2HY, UK. Electronic address: sb2209@cam.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Sivasambu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bohm
authors.affiliation: Department of Metallurgical Engineering & Materials Science, Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India. Electronic address: mallick@iitb.ac.in.
authors.forename: Sudhanshu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mallick
keywords: Counter electrode; Dye-sensitized solar cells; Exfoliation; Graphene; I-V characteristics