High-performance dye-sensitized solar cells based on PEDOT nanofibers as an efficient catalytic counter electrode

Abstract

Poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) nanofibers (PEDOT-NFs) with 10-50 nm diameters and high electrical conductivity (up to 83 S cm À1 ) have been fabricated chemically within micelles composed of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as nanoreactors. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, 5 wt%) was added to a methanol-based colloidal dispersion containing PEDOT-NFs to improve dispersibility. The dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) using PEDOT-NFs as a counter electrode (CE) with low surface resistance and a highly porous surface exhibited enhanced power conversion efficiency (9.2%) compared to bulk PEDOT (6.8%). To date, PEDOT-NFs have shown the highest performance among CEs using PEDOT. It also surpassed the efficiency of platinum (Pt) CEs (8.6%). Electrochemical characterization, such as cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), showed that PEDOT-NFs efficiently reduced triiodide due to the enhanced electrical and morphological properties, which contributed to the high current density (17.5 mA cm À2 ) and fill factor (72.6%).

Counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells

“…Similarly, PEDOTnanofibers (NFs) with diameters of 10-50 nm and a high conductivity of 83 S cm À1 were prepared by using sodium dodecyl sulfate micelles as nanoreactors. 409 The PEDOT-NFs were spin-coated as a methanol-based colloidal dispersion. The DSSC based on the PEDOT-NF CE with low surface resistance and a highly porous surface achieved a high PCE of 9.2%, compared with bulk PEDOT (6.8%).…”

The Role of Mott–Schottky Heterojunctions in Ag–Ag8SnS6 as Counter Electrodes in Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

“…Ideally, CE materials possess low resistance, high catalytic activity towards reduction, excellent chemical stability, and are of sufficiently low cost to replace platinum 5. To date, several kinds of new CE materials, such as carbon materials,6 polymers,7 oxides,5c, 8 nitrides,9 and metal chalcogenides,4a, 5c, d, 10 have been reported. In addition, owing to their superior electrochemical properties, CE materials based on composites have also drawn tremendous research interest 11.…”

Electrochemically Prepared Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxy‐ thiophene)/Polypyrrole Films with Hollow Micro‐/Nanohorn Arrays as High‐Efficiency Counter Electrodes for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

“…When used as CE materials for DSCs, conducting polymers such as polypyrrole (PPy), poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), and polyaniline have attained remarkable efficiencies. [30][31][32] PEDOT CEs showed high catalytic activities and achieved an even higherp ower conversion efficiency (PCE) than Pt CEs in some works. [17] PPy has attracted interest as ap otentialc andidate [33][34][35][36] due to its advantages of high conductivity,l ow material cost, ease of synthesis, and environmentally friendly nature [37,38] However, the PCEs of DSCs with PPy CEs are still insufficient.…”