Universal low-temperature MWCNT-COOH-based counter electrode and a new thiolate/disulfide electrolyte system for dye-sensitized solar cells

ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces

Volumn 6, Issue 11, 2014, Pages 8744-8753

  Hilmi, Abdulla ^a   Shoker, Tharallah A ^a   Ghaddar, Tarek H ^a  

^a AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT   (Lebanon)

Author keywords

DSSC; impedance spectroscopy; multiwalled carbon nanotubes; thiolate disulfide electrolyte

Indexed keywords

CYCLIC VOLTAMMETRY; DYE-SENSITIZED SOLAR CELLS; ELECTROCHEMICAL IMPEDANCE SPECTROSCOPY; ELECTRODES; ELECTROLYTES; MULTIWALLED CARBON NANOTUBES (MWCN); NITROGEN COMPOUNDS; PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS; SPECTROSCOPY; TEMPERATURE;

DSSC; DYE-SENSITIZED SOLAR CELL; DYE-SENSITIZED SOLAR CELLS; ELECTROCATALYTIC ACTIVITY; ELECTROLYTE SYSTEMS; IMPEDANCE SPECTROSCOPY; TETRABUTYLAMMONIUM SALTS; THIOLATES;

SOLAR CELLS;

EID: 84902517219     PISSN: 19448244     EISSN: 19448252     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1021/am501520s     Document Type: Article

References (75)

1. 2 Films Nature 1991, 353, 737-740
2. Yella, A.; Lee, H.-W.; Tsao, H. N.; Yi, C.; Chandiran, A. K.; Nazeeruddin, M. K.; Diau, E. W.-G.; Yeh, C.-Y.; Zakeeruddin, S. M.; Grätzel, M. Porphyrin-Sensitized Solar Cells with Cobalt (II/III) Based Redox Electrolyte Exceed 12% Efficiency Science 2011, 334, 629-634
3. Burschka, J.; Pellet, N.; Moon, S.-J.; Humphry-Baker, R.; Gao, P.; Nazeeruddin, M. K.; Grätzel, M. Sequential Deposition as a Route to High-Performance Perovskite-Sensitized Solar Cells Nature 2013, 499, 316-319
4. Chiba, Y.; Islam, A.; Watanabe, Y.; Komiya, R.; Koide, N.; Han, L. Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with Conversion Efficiency of 11.1% Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 2006, 45, L638-L640
5. Wang, M.; Grätzel, C.; Zakeeruddin, S. M.; Grätzel, M. Recent Developments in Redox Electrolytes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Energy Environ. Sci. 2012, 5, 9394-9405
6. Cong, J.; Yang, X.; Kloo, L.; Sun, L. Iodine/Iodide-Free Redox Shuttles for Liquid Electrolyte-Based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Energy Environ. Sci. 2012, 5, 9180-9194
7. - Electrolytes Org. Lett. 2009, 11, 5542-5545
8. 2 Photoelectrochemical Cells J. Phys. Chem. B 2001, 105, 6867-6873
9. - Based Ionic Liquid Electrolyte Forhigh-Efficiency Dye-Sensitized Nanocrystalline Solar Cells J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 7164-7165
10. Daeneke, T.; Kwon, T. H.; Holmes, A. B.; Duffy, N. W.; Bach, U.; Spiccia, L. High-Efficiency Dye Sensitized Solar Cells with Ferrocene-Based Electrolytes Nat. Chem. 2011, 3, 211-215
11. Gregg, B. A.; Pichot, F.; Ferrere, S.; Fields, C. L. Interfacial Recombination Processes in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells and Methods to Passivate the Interfaces J. Phys. Chem. B 2001, 105, 1422-1429
12. Hamann, T. W.; Farha, O. K.; Hupp, J. T. Performance Enhancement Based on Photoelectrode Modification via Atomic Layer Deposition J. Phys. Chem. C 2008, 112, 19756-19764
13. 2-Sensitised Solar Cells Chem.-Eur. J. 2010, 16, 2611-2618
14. Hattori, S.; Wada, Y.; Yanagida, S.; Fukuzumi, S. Blue Copper Model Complexes with Distorted Tetragonal Geometry Acting as Effective Electron-Transfer Mediators in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 9648-9654
15. Li, T. C.; Spokoyny, A. M.; She, C.; Farha, O. K.; Mirkin, C. A.; Marks, T. J.; Hupp, J. T. Ni(III)/(IV) Bis(dicarbollide) as a Fast, Noncorrosive Redox Shuttle for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 4580-4582
16. Nusbaumer, H.; Zakeeruddin, S. M.; Moser, J. E.; Grätzel, M. An Alternative Efficient Redox Couple for the Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell System Chem.-Eur. J. 2003, 9, 3756-3763
17. Cazzanti, S.; Caramori, S.; Argazzi, R.; Elliott, C. M.; Bignozzi, C. A. Efficient Non-Corrosive Electron-Transfer Mediator Mixtures for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 9996-9997
18. Sapp, S. A.; Elliott, C. M.; Contado, C.; Caramori, S.; Bignozzi, C. A. Substituted Polypyridine Complexes of Cobalt(II/III) as Efficient Electron-Transfer Mediators in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 11215-11222
19. Klahr, B. M.; Hamann, T. W. Performance Enhancement and Limitations of Cobalt Bipyridyl Redox Shuttles in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells J. Phys. Chem. C 2009, 113, 14040-14045
20. DeVries, M. J.; Pellin, M. J.; Hupp, J. T. Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Driving-Force Effects on Electron Recombination Dynamics with Cobalt Based Shuttles Langmuir 2010, 26, 9082-9087
21. Liu, Y.; Jennings, J. R.; Wang, Q. Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Using a Tetramethylthiourea Redox Mediator ChemSusChem 2013, 6, 2124-2131
22. Noureldine, D.; Shoker, T.; Musameh, M.; Ghaddar, T. H. Investigation of Carbon Nanotube Webs as Counter Electrodes in a New Organic Electrolyte Based Dye Sensitized Solar Cell J. Mater. Chem. 2012, 22, 862-869
23. Cho, W.; Song, D.; Lee, Y.-G.; Chae, H.; Kim, Y. R.; Pyun, Y. B.; Nagarajan, S.; Sudhagar, P.; Kang, Y. S. Efficient Binary Organic Thiolate/Disulfide Redox Mediators in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on a Carbon Black Counter Electrode J. Mater. Chem. A 2013, 1, 233-236
24. Wang, M.; Chamberland, N.; Breau, L.; Moser, J.-E.; Humphry-Baker, R.; Marsan, B.; Zakeeruddin, S. M.; Grätzel, M. An Organic Redox Electrolyte to Rival Triiodide/Iodide in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Nat. Chem. 2010, 2, 385-389
25. Tian, H.; Jiang, X.; Yu, Z.; Kloo, L.; Hagfeldt, A.; Sun, L. Efficient Organic-Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on an Iodine-Free Electrolyte Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2010, 49, 7328-7331
26. Tian, H.; Yu, Z.; Hagfeldt, A.; Kloo, L.; Sun, L. Organic Redox Couples and Organic Counter Electrode for Efficient Organic Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 133, 9413-9422
27. Tian, H.; Sun, L. Iodine-Free Redox Couples for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells J. Mater. Chem. 2011, 21, 10592-10601
28. Liu, Y.; Jennings, J. R.; Parameswaran, M.; Wang, Q. An Organic Redox Mediator for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with near Unity Quantum Efficiency Energy Environ. Sci. 2011, 4, 564-571
29. Li, X.; Ku, Z.; Rong, Y.; Liu, G.; Liu, L.; Liu, T.; Hu, M.; Yang, Y.; Wang, H.; Xu, M.; Xiang, P.; Han, H. Design of an Organic Redox Mediator and Optimization of an Organic Counter Electrode for Efficient Transparent Bifacial Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2012, 14, 14383-14390
30. Li, X.; Liu, L.; Liu, G.; Rong, Y.; Yang, Y.; Wang, H.; Ku, Z.; Xu, M.; Zhong, C.; Han, H. Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with Potential-Tunable Organic Sulfide Mediators and Graphene-Modified Carbon Counter Electrodes Adv. Funct. Mater. 2013, 23, 3344-3352
31. Li, D.; Li, H.; Luo, Y.; Li, K.; Meng, Q.; Armand, M.; Chen, L. Non-Corrosive, Non-Absorbing Organic Redox Couple for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Adv. Funct. Mater. 2010, 20, 3358-3365
32. Guo, W.; Shen, Y.; Wu, M.; Wang, L.; Wang, L.; Ma, T. SnS-Quantum Dot Solar Cells Using Novel TiC Counter Electrode and Organic Redox Couples Chem.-Eur. J. 2012, 18, 7862-7868
33. Ning, Z.; Tian, H.; Yuan, C.; Fu, Y.; Sun, L.; Ågren, H. Pure Organic Redox Couple for Quantum-Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells Chem.-Eur. J. 2011, 17, 6330-6333
34. Xu, X.; Zhang, B.; Cui, J.; Xiong, D.; Shen, Y.; Chen, W.; Sun, L.; Cheng, Y.; Wang, M. Efficient p-Type Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Disulfide/Thiolate Electrolytes Nanoscale 2013, 5, 7963-7969
35. Ahmad, S.; Yum, J.-H.; Butt, H.-J.; Nazeeruddin, M. K.; Grätzel, M. Efficient Platinum-Free Counter Electrodes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Applications ChemPhysChem 2010, 11, 2814-2819
36. Syrrokostas, G.; Siokoub, A.; Leftheriotis, G.; Yianoulis, P. Degradation Mechanisms of Pt Counter Electrodes for Dye Sensitized Solar Cells Sol. Energy Mater. Sol. C 2012, 103, 119-127
37. Wang, L.; Wu, M.; Gao, Y.; Ma, T. Highly Catalytic Counter Electrodes for Organic Redox Couple of Thiolate/Disulfide in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Appl. Phys. Lett. 2011, 98, 221101-221103
38. Wu, M.; Bai, J.; Wang, Y.; Wang, A.; Lin, X.; Wang, L.; Shen, Y.; Wang, Z.; Hagfeldt, A.; Ma, T. High-Performance Phosphide/Carbon Counter Electrode for Both Iodide and Organic Redox Couples in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells J. Mater. Chem. 2012, 22, 11121-11127
39. Tian, H.; Gabrielsson, E.; Yu, Z.; Hagfeldt, A.; Kloo, L.; Sun, L. A Thiolate/Disulfide Ionic Liquid Electrolyte for Organic Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Pt-Free Counter Electrodes Chem. Commun. 2011, 47, 10124-10126
40. Burschka, J.; Brault, V.; Ahmad, S.; Breau, L.; Nazeeruddin, M. K.; Marsan, B.; Zakeeruddin, S. M.; Grätzel, M. Influence of the Counter Electrode on the Photovoltaic Performance of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Using a Disulfide/Thiolate Redox Electrolyte Energy Environ. Sci. 2012, 5, 6089-6097
41. Ku, Z.; Li, X.; Liu, G.; Wang, H.; Rong, Y.; Xu, M.; Liu, L.; Hu, M.; Yang, Y.; Han, H. Transparent NiS Counter Electrodes for Thiolate/Disulfide Mediated Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells J. Mater. Chem. A 2013, 1, 237-240
42. Liu, G.; Li, X.; Wang, H.; Rong, Y.; Ku, Z.; Xu, M.; Liu, L.; Hu, M.; Yang, Y.; Han, H. An Efficient Thiolate/Disulfide Redox Couple Based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell with a Graphene Modified Mesoscopic Carbon Counter Electrode Carbon 2012, 53, 11-18
43. Zhang, J.; Long, H.; Miralles, S. G.; Bisquert, J.; Fabregat-Santiago, F.; Zhang, M. The Combination of a Polymer-Carbon Composite Electrode with a High-Absorptivity Ruthenium Dye Achieves an Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Based on a Thiolate-Disulfide Redox Couple Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2012, 14, 7131-7136
44. -) J. Mater. Chem. 2011, 21, 14815-14820
45. Pan, S.; Yang, Z.; Li, H.; Qiu, L.; Sun, H.; Peng, H. Efficient Dye-Sensitized Photovoltaic Wires Based on an Organic Redox Electrolyte J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 10622-10625
46. Hao, F.; Dong, P.; Zhang, J.; Zhang, Y.; Loya, P. E.; Hauge, R. H.; Li, J.; Lou, J.; Lin, H. High Electrocatalytic Activity of Vertically Aligned Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes Towards Sulfide Redox Shuttles Sci. Rep. 2012, 2, srep00368
47. Hao, F.; Wang, Z.; Luo, Q.; Lou, J.; Li, J.; Wang, J.; Fan, S.; Jiang, K.; Lin, H. Highly Catalytic Cross-Stacked Superaligned Carbon Nanotube Sheets for Iodine-Free Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells J. Mater. Chem. 2012, 22, 22756-22762
48. Salvatori, P.; Marotta, G.; Cinti, A.; Anselmi, C.; Mosconi, E.; De Angelis, F. Supramolecular Interactions of Chenodeoxycholic Acid Increase the Efficiency of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on a Cobalt Electrolyte J. Phys. Chem. C 2013, 117, 3874-3887
49. 2 Films in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. 2. Charge Density, Band Edge Shifts, and Quantification of Recombination Losses at Short Circuit J. Phys. Chem. C 2007, 111, 14001-14010
50. - in Some Pure and Mixed Dipolar Aprotic Solvents Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn. 1988, 61, 1735-1742
51. Roy-Mayhew, J. D.; Bozym, D. J.; Punckt, C.; Aksay, I. A. Functionalized Graphene as a Catalytic Counter Electrode in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells ACS Nano 2010, 4, 6203-6211
52. Park, B.-w.; Pazoki, M.; Aitola, K.; Jeong, S.; Johansson, E. M. J.; Hagfeldt, A.; Boschloo, G. Understanding Interfacial Charge Transfer between Metallic PEDOT Counter Electrodes and a Cobalt Redox Shuttle in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2014, 6, 2074-2079
53. Kavan, L.; Yum, J.-H.; Nazeeruddin, M. K.; Grätzel, M. Graphene Nanoplatelet Cathode for Co(III)/(II) Mediated Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells ACS Nano 2011, 5, 9171-9178
54. Hauch, A.; Georg, A. Diffusion in the Electrolyte and Charge-Transfer Reaction at the Platinum Electrode in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Electrochim. Acta 2001, 46, 3457-3466
55. Lee, K. S.; Lee, W. J.; Park, N.-G.; Kim, S. O.; Park, J. H. Transferred Vertically Aligned N-doped Carbon Nanotube Arrays: Use in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells as Counter Electrodes Chem. Commun. 2011, 47, 4264-4266
56. Dong, P.; Pint, C. L.; Hainey, M.; Mirri, F.; Zhan, Y.-J.; Zhang, J.; Pasquali, M.; Hauge, R. H.; Verduzco, R.; Jiang, M.; Lin, H.; Lou, J. Vertically Aligned Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes as Low-Cost and High Electrocatalytic Counter Electrode for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2011, 3, 3157-3161
57. Yang, Z.; Chen, T.; He, R.; Guan, G.; Li, H.; Qiu, L.; Peng, H. Aligned Carbon Nanotube Sheets for the Electrodes of Organic Solar Cells Adv. Mater. 2011, 23, 5436-5439
58. Chen, J.; Meng, F.; Gui, X.; Sun, H.; Zeng, Z.; Li, Z.; Zhou, Y.; Tang, Z. The Application of a Three Dimensional CNT-Sponge as the Counter Electrode for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Carbon 2012, 50, 5624-5627
59. Jo, Y.; Cheon, J. Y.; Yu, J.; Jeong, H. Y.; Han, C.-H.; Jun, Y.; Joo, S. H. Highly Interconnected Ordered Mesoporous Carbon-Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposites: Pt-Free, Highly Efficient, and Durable Counter Electrodes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Chem. Commun. 2012, 48, 8057-8059
60. Han, J.; Kim, H.; Kim, D. Y.; Jo, S. M.; Jang, S.-Y. Water-Soluble Polyelectrolyte-Grafted Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Thin Films for Efficient Counter Electrode of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells ACS Nano 2010, 4, 3503-3509
61. Wu, M.; Lin, X.; Wang, T.; Qiu, J.; Ma, T. Low-Cost Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Based on Nine Kinds of Carbon Counter Electrodes Energy Environ. Sci. 2011, 4, 2308-2315
62. Choi, H. J.; Gong, H. H.; Park, J.-Y.; Hong, S. C. Characteristics of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with Surface-Modified Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes as Counter Electrodes J. Mater. Sci. 2013, 48, 906-912
63. Munkhbayar, B.; Hwang, S.; Kim, J.; Bae, K.; Ji, M.; Chung, H.; Jeong, H. Photovoltaic Performance of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with Various MWCNT Counter Electrode Structures Produced by Different Coating Methods Electrochim. Acta 2012, 80, 100-107
64. Chen, Y.; Zhang, H.; Chen, Y.; Lin, J. Study on Carbon Nanocomposite Counterelectrode for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells J. Nanomater. 2012, 601736
65. Balamurugan, J.; Thangamuthu, R.; Pandurangan, A. Growth of Carbon Nanotubes over Transition Metal Loaded on Co-Sba-15 and Its Application for High Performance Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells J. Mater. Chem. A 2013, 1, 5070-5080
66. Malara, F.; Manca, M.; De Marco, L.; Pareo, P.; Gigli, G. Flexible Carbon Nanotube-Based Composite Plates as Efficient Monolithic Counter Electrodes for Dye Solar Cells ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2011, 3, 3625-3632
67. Wang, Q.; Ito, S.; Grätzel, M.; Fabregat-Santiago, F.; Mora-Seró, I. n.; Bisquert, J.; Bessho, T.; Imai, H. Characteristics of High Efficiency Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells J. Phys. Chem. B 2006, 110, 25210-25221
68. Fabregat-Santiago, F.; Garcia-Belmonte, G.; Mora-Sero, I.; Bisquert, J. Characterization of Nanostructured Hybrid and Organic Solar Cells by Impedance Spectroscopy Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2011, 13, 9083-9118
69. Bisquert, J. Chemical Capacitance of Nanostructured Semiconductors: Its Origin and Significance for Nanocomposite Solar Cells Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2003, 5, 5360-5364
70. Gónzalez-Pedro, V.; Xu, X.; Mora-Seró, I. N.; Bisquert, J. Modeling High-Efficiency Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells ACS Nano 2010, 4, 5783-5790
71. Guillén, E.; Peter, L. M.; Anta, J. A. Electron Transport and Recombination in Zno-Based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells J. Phys. Chem. C 2011, 115, 22622-22632
72. Boschloo, G.; Hagfeldt, A. Characteristics of the Iodide/Triiodide Redox Mediator in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Acc. Chem. Res. 2009, 42, 1819-1826
73. Bard, A.; Faulkner, L. Electrochemical Methods, Fundamentals and Applications, 2nd ed.; Wiley: New York, 2001.
74. Cañete-Rosales, P.; Ortega, V.; álvarez-Lueje, A.; Bollo, S.; González, M.; Ansón, A.; Martínez, M. T. Influence of Size and Oxidative Treatments of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes on Their Electrocatalytic Properties Electrochim. Acta 2012, 62, 163-171
75. Liu, L.; L, X.; Chen, J.; Rong, Y.; Ku, Z.; Han, H. Improvement of Thiolate/Disulfide Mediated Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells through Supramolecular Lithium Cation Assembling of Crown Ether Sci. Rep. 2013, 3, 1-5