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Synchrotron radiation soft X-ray was employed to reduce graphene oxide (GO) films in ultrahigh vacuum. The dissociation of oxygen-containing functional groups, and the formation of sp 2 C−C bonds were revealed by time-resolved in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, demonstrating the X-ray reduction of GO. The number of C−O bonds of GO exhibited an exponential decay with exposure time. The X-ray reduction rate of GO was positively correlated with the intensity of low-energy secondary electrons excited from substrates by soft X-ray, indicating the C−O bonds were dissociated by secondary electrons.

This paper describes the photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) containing graphene-incorporated counter electrodes (CEs). The location and thickness of graphene in CEs are optimized to improve the photovoltaic performance of DSSCs, compared with typical Pt CEs. The DSSC, with a Pt/few-layer graphene (FLG) CE, achieved 8% in short-circuit current density and 13% in power conversion efficiency (PCE). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy shows that the DSSC, with a Pt/FLG CE, exhibits a series resistance lower than that with a Pt CE. The lower series resistance is attributed to the contact resistance at the interface of platinum and fluorine doped tin oxide. The contact resistance is reduced by the formation of the thin platinum-carbon composite layer. It is demonstrated that the consumption of Pt could be reduced with a Pt/FLG CE. However, graphene/Pt CEs resulted in a slow charge-transfer process and consequently a worse photovoltaic performance of DSSCs. V

The effects of thermal annealing on the interfacial properties of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/[6,6]-phenyl C 61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) and on the charge dynamics in P3HT:PCBM polymer solar cells (PSCs) are investigated. This study determines that an effective phase separation of the P3HT and PCBM caused by thermal annealing achieves a larger interfacial area for efficient exciton dissociation and a well-defined pn junction with few defect levels at the P3HT/PCBM interface. Additionally, thermal annealing creates a compositional gradient across the P3HT:PCBM films, which enhances the charge transit ability significantly. These improved interfacial properties and efficiency in charge transit ability account for the better power conversion efficiency of P3HT:PCBM PSCs treated with thermal annealing.

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This study is to develop the Pt crystalline ultrathin films as high-transparent, efficient, and low-Pt-loaded counter electrodes (CEs) for bifacial dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The 1-nm-thick Pt ultrathin films are sputtered on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates and thermal annealed at 400 °C. After annealing, as-prepared amorphous-nanocrystal-mixed Pt films become high-crystalline films with better optical transmittance and electrocatalytic ability to I3 − reduction for bifacial DSCs. The rear-to-front ratios of short-circuit current density and power conversion efficiency of DSCs with crystalline ultrathin Pt CEs are as high as 81 and 83%, respectively.

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