Low-Cost and Efficient Nickel Nitroprusside/Graphene Nanohybrid Electrocatalysts as Counter Electrodes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Materials

Md. Mahbubur Rahman¹ 

[1] Department of Applied Chemistry, Konkuk University, Chungju 27478, Korea;

关键词: graphene;    nickel pentacyanonitrosylferrate;    chemical synthesis;    electrocatalytic;    counter electrode;    solar cells;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ma14216563

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Novel nickel nitroprusside (NNP) nanoparticles with incorporated graphene nanoplatelets (NNP/GnP) were used for the first time as a low-cost and effective counter electrode (CE) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). NNP was synthesized at a low-temperature (25 °C) solution process with suitable purity and crystallinity with a size range from 5 to 10 nm, as confirmed by different spectroscopic and microscopic analyses. The incorporation of an optimized amount of GnP (0.2 wt%) into the NNP significantly improved the electrocatalytic behavior for the redox reaction of iodide (I⁻)/tri-iodide (I₃⁻) by decreasing the charge-transfer resistance at the CE/electrolyte interface, lower than the NNP- and GnP-CEs, and comparable to the Pt-CE. The NNP/GnP nanohybrid CE when applied in DSSC exhibited a PCE of 6.13% (under one sun illumination conditions) with the J_sc, V_oc, and FF of 14.22 mA/cm², 0.628 V, and 68.68%, respectively, while the PCE of the reference Pt-CE-based DSSC was 6.37% (J_sc = 14.47 mA/cm², V_oc = 0.635 V, and FF = 69.20%). The low cost of the NNP/GnP hybrid CE with comparable photovoltaic performance to Pt-CE can be potentially exploited as a suitable replacement of Pt-CE in DSSCs.

【 授权许可】

Unknown