Graphene nanoplatelets outperforming platinum as the electrocatalyst in co-bipyridine-mediated dye-sensitized solar cells.

Graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) in the form of thin semitransparent films on F-doped SnO2 (FTO) exhibit high electrocatalytic activity for the Co(bpy)3(3+/2+) redox couple in acetonitrile electrolyte solution. The GNP film is superior to the traditional electrocatalyst, that is, platinum, both in charge-transfer resistance (exchange current) and in electrochemical stability under prolonged potential cycling. The good electrochemical performance of GNP is readily applicable for dye-sensitized solar cells with Y123-sensitized TiO2 photoanodes and Co(bpy)3(3+/2+) as the redox shuttle. The dye-sensitized solar cell with GNP cathode is superior to that with the Pt-FTO cathode particularly in fill factor and in power conversion efficiency at higher illumination intensity.

[1]  G. Boschloo,et al.  Design of organic dyes and cobalt polypyridine redox mediators for high-efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells. , 2010, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[2]  H. Pettersson,et al.  Dye-sensitized solar cells. , 2010, Chemical Reviews.

[3]  M. Grätzel,et al.  A low-cost, high-efficiency solar cell based on dye-sensitized colloidal TiO2 films , 1991, Nature.

[4]  Christian Punckt,et al.  Functionalized graphene as a catalytic counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells. , 2010, ACS nano.

[5]  Andreas Georg,et al.  Diffusion in the electrolyte and charge-transfer reaction at the platinum electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells , 2001 .

[6]  C. Michael Elliott,et al.  Mass Transport of Polypyridyl Cobalt Complexes in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with Mesoporous TiO2 Photoanodes , 2008 .

[7]  Mingfei Xu,et al.  Mesoscopic titania solar cells with the tris(1,10-phenanthroline)cobalt redox shuttle: uniped versus biped organic dyes , 2011 .

[8]  C. Bignozzi,et al.  Mass transport and charge transfer rates for Co(III)/Co(II) redox couple in a thin-layer cell , 2010 .

[9]  N. Papageorgiou,et al.  Counter-electrode function in nanocrystalline photoelectrochemical cell configurations , 2004 .

[10]  W. Maier,et al.  An Iodine/Triiodide Reduction Electrocatalyst for Aqueous and Organic Media , 1997 .

[11]  Michael Graetzel,et al.  A low-cost, high-efficiency solar cell based on dye-sensitized colloidal titanium dioxide films , 1991 .

[12]  Michael Grätzel,et al.  Photoelectrochemical cells , 2001, Nature.

[13]  Peng Wang,et al.  Efficient organic dye-sensitized thin-film solar cells based on the tris(1,10-phenanthroline)cobalt(II/III) redox shuttle , 2011 .

[14]  Ladislav Kavan,et al.  Graphene nanoplatelet cathode for Co(III)/(II) mediated dye-sensitized solar cells. , 2011, ACS nano.

[15]  Qing Wang,et al.  Highly Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Carbon Black Counter Electrodes , 2006 .

[16]  Wei Xing,et al.  Application of mesoporous carbon to counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells , 2009 .

[17]  Michael Grätzel,et al.  Porphyrin-Sensitized Solar Cells with Cobalt (II/III)–Based Redox Electrolyte Exceed 12 Percent Efficiency , 2011, Science.

[18]  Thomas W. Hamann,et al.  Dye-sensitized solar cell redox shuttles , 2011 .

[19]  Eric Wei-Guang Diau,et al.  Porphyrin-sensitized solar cells. , 2013, Chemical Society reviews.

[20]  M. Liberatore,et al.  Using EIS for diagnosis of dye-sensitized solar cells performance , 2009 .

[21]  J. Trancik,et al.  Transparent and catalytic carbon nanotube films. , 2008, Nano letters.

[22]  M. Graetzel,et al.  Enhancement of the performance of dye-sensitized solar cell by formation of shallow transport levels under visible light illumination , 2008 .

[23]  M. Boujtita,et al.  Characterization of screen printed carbon counter electrodes for Co(II)/(III) mediated photoelectrochemical cells , 2010 .

[24]  Jun-Ho Yum,et al.  Cyclopentadithiophene bridged donor-acceptor dyes achieve high power conversion efficiencies in dye-sensitized solar cells based on the tris-cobalt bipyridine redox couple. , 2011, ChemSusChem.

[25]  C. M. Elliott,et al.  Substituted polypyridine complexes of cobalt(II/III) as efficient electron-transfer mediators in dye-sensitized solar cells. , 2002, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[26]  Ladislav Kavan,et al.  Optically transparent cathode for dye-sensitized solar cells based on graphene nanoplatelets. , 2011, ACS nano.

[27]  M. Grätzel.  Photoelectrochemical cells : Materials for clean energy , 2001 .