A counter electrode based on hollow spherical particles of polyaniline for a dye-sensitized solar cell?

Journal of Materials Chemistry Pub Date: 2012-05-30 DOI: 10.1039/C2JM32316H

Abstract

Hollow spherical polyaniline (hsPANI) particles are synthesized and deposited on an ITO/glass substrate to prepare a counter electrode (designated as hsPANI-CE) for a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The structure and crystallization of the hsPANI particles are characterized by using high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectra. A power-conversion efficiency (η) of 6.84% is obtained for the DSSC with the hsPANI-CE, while it is 6.02% in the case of the DSSC with a CE based on pristine PANI (designated as PANI-CE). Such enhancement is attributed to the hsPANI film having a larger active surface area (A) of 0.191 cm2, compared to that of the PANI film (A = 0.126 cm2), both values being estimated by a rotating disk electrode (RDE). Cyclic voltammetric (CV) curves have evidenced that the electro-catalytic ability of the hsPANI-CE for the reduction of tri-iodide (I3?) ions is higher than that of the PANI-CE. As a reference, the DSSC with a Pt-sputtered CE gives an η of 7.17%. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) spectra are used to substantiate the photovoltaic behaviors. The results suggest that the film consisting of hsPANI particles can be a potential catalytic layer for the replacement of Pt in the CE of a DSSC.

Graphical abstract: A counter electrode based on hollow spherical particles of polyaniline for a dye-sensitized solar cell
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