A new type of low-cost counter electrode catalyst based on platinum nanoparticles loaded onto silicon carbide (Pt/SiC) for dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

A Pt/SiC nanocomposite with ~10 wt% Pt loading was used as a counter electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), it shows a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.07% (a DSC with a SiC CE has a PCE of 3.29%), reaching 98.5% of the level obtained using a Pt CE (7.18%). This work provides substantial support for developing low-cost Pt-loaded composite CEs for DSCs. Pt/SiC use is expected to reduce the dependence on the Pt in DSCs, while it can also be expected to be used in many chemical and electrochemical processes required to control the amount of Pt and prevent Pt nanoparticle aggregation.

MoSe2 nanosheet/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonate) composite film as a Pt-free counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

“…In order to replace Pt in DSSCs, conducting polymer-based [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16], carbon-based [17][18][19][20][21][22], and transition metal compound-based [23][24][25][26] materials have been investigated recently. Among them, transition metal-based materials, especially those containing nitrides [27], carbides [28,29], sulfides [26,[30][31][32][33], and selenides [34][35][36][37][38][39] have caught a lot of attention. Transition metal selenides are distinguished from other transition metal-based materials, owing to their excellent electrocatalytic ability, high chemical and thermal stability, morphological variations, and excellent electrochemical properties [40][41][42][43].…”

Low-cost platinum-free counter electrode of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 perovskite for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells

“…Symmetrical cells with LSMO CE show a small R ct value (0.72 X), which indicates that LSMO has an excellent catalytic activity for I 3 À reduction. 27 LSMO presented a larger Z N value (19.36 X) than that of Pt (1.06 X) and this may arise from the porosity of the LSMO electrode in the present work. 28 The larger R ct value of LSMO than Pt means poor conductive and electrocatalytic activity, and the larger Z N value means larger diffusion impedance, which can explain why the FF of DSSCs with LSMO CEs are lower than that of Pt.…”

Superior Catalytic Activity of Sub‐5 μm‐Thick Pt/SiC Films as Counter Electrodes for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

“…More information on the exchange current density ( J 0 ) and the limiting diffusion current density ( J lim ) is presented in detail in our previous papers 16. 35, 39…”

“…Moreover, the dark current of the four DSSCs did not show much difference. A marked improvement in the PCE was observed after Pt loading relative to that used for DSSCs with a SiC CE (PCE:3.29 %) 35. The higher PCE value can be mainly attributed to the higher short‐circuit current density (J sc ) relative to that of the Pt electrode and a fill factor (FF) close to that of the Pt electrode.…”