Highly Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Carbon Black Counter Electrodes

Carbon black was employed as the catalyst for triiodide reduction on fluorine-doped tin oxide glass substrates (FTO-glass) used as counter electrodes in platinum-free dye-sensitized solar cells. The fill factors were strongly dependent on the thickness of the carbon layer, and the light energy conversion efficiency also increased up to a thickness of 10 μm. The charge-transfer resistance (R ct ) of the carbon counter electrode decreased with the thickness of the carbon layer. The R ct for the thicker carbon layer is less than three times that for the platinized FTO-glass. The highest cell efficiency was 9.1% under 100 mW cm -2 light intensity (1 sun AM 1.5 light, J sc = 16.8 mA cm -2 , V oc = 789.8 mV, fill factor = 0.685).

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