Pt-sputtering-like NiCo2S4 counter electrode for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells

Huang, Niu; Zhang, Shouzheng; Huang, Hua; Li, Jingwen; Sun, Yihua; Sun, Panpan; Bao, Cui; Zheng, Linjie; Sun, Xiaohua; Zhao, Xingzhong

doi:10.1016/j.electacta.2016.02.004

Cited by 45 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Tafel polarization measurement was also carried out for Co−S, Mo−S, Ni−S and Pt/FTO CEs, as shown in Figure . Theoretically, a Tafel curve can be divided into three parts: polarization zone at lower potential, diffusion region at high applied voltage, Tafel zone at the middle region with a steep slope . By fitting the cathodic branch in the Tafel zone and seeking the intersection of the fit line with the equilibrium potential value (0 V), the exchange current density ( J o ) could be acquired, as shown in the last column of Table , which is determined by the catalytic property of electrode.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…From Figure b, when the V oc above 0.65 V, it is also revealed that Co−S CE exhibits a very close electron lifetime to that of Pt, meanwhile, the electron lifetime of Mo−S is near the electron lifetime of Ni−S. The results revealed by OCVD is consistent with the J−V result that the device based on Co−S CE obtains a extremely close η (6.42 %) to that of Pt/FTO (6.59 %), and the DSSCs based on Mo−S and Ni−S achieve close η around 5.7∼5.8 % …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Solution‐Based in–situ Synthesis of Transition Metal Sulfides as Efficient Counter Electrodes for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

Huang

Fang

et al. 2016

ChemistrySelect

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Transition metal sulfide films Co−S, Mo−S, and Ni−S have been deposited by spin‐coating their precursor solutions followed by a mild thermal treatment. X‐ray diffraction results and X‐ray photoelectron spectrum demonstrate that the solution‐processed Co−S, Mo−S, and Ni−S are composed of CoS2, MoS2, and NiS with NiS2, respectively. Electrochemical characterizations reveal these sulfide films deposited on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glasses as counter electrodes (CEs) show high catalytic activity to I3− species and good electrical conductivity compared to that of conventional Pt/FTO. Photo‐electric conversion efficiencies of 6.42 %, 5.82 %, and 5.72 % are obtained for the DSSCs adopting Co−S CE, Mo−S CE, and Ni−S CE, respectively, comparable to the device (6.59 %) employing Pt/FTO CE.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Solution‐Based in–situ Synthesis of Transition Metal Sulfides as Efficient Counter Electrodes for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

Huang

Fang

et al. 2016

ChemistrySelect

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“…Lin et al [41] fabricated a highly transparent NiCo 2 S 4 -based counter electrode for use in a DSSC, which attained a PCE of 6.14%. Huang and associates [42] also synthesised a NiCo 2 S 4 -based counter electrode which produced an 8.1% efficiency. The differences observed in PCE values for the two counter electrodes could be due to a variety of reasons, such as synthesis methods and assembly methods of the DSSCs.…”

Section: Sample Synthesis Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review on the Advancement of Ternary Alloy Counter Electrodes for Use in Dye-Sensitised Solar Cells

Meyer

Taziwa

Mutukwa

et al. 2018

Metals

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A dye-sensitised solar cell (DSSC) counter electrode (CE) plays a vital role in catalysing the conversion of triiodide ( I 3 − ) to iodide ions ( I − ), thereby ensuring the completion of the repetitive cycle of electricity generation. The platinum CE, despite being the standard counter electrode in DSSCs, has drawbacks of platinum’s rarity and high cost. Platinum is an excellent redox catalyst, and consequently, it is the most sought-after metal for catalytic conversions. The huge demand for platinum in the automotive industry for vehicular catalytic converters, the pharmaceutical industry, and in oil refining, as well as other industries, has driven its price to unprecedented levels. The prohibitive price of platinum has caused newer thin film technologies, such as the DSSC which depends on the platinum CE, to be cost-ineffective, thus meaning they cannot compete with the better-established silicon-based solar cells. These problems have stagnated the development of the DSSC, which in turn has dampened larger commercialisation prospects for this thin film technology. With this in mind, this review paper focuses on recent progress in the research and development of alternative cost-effective materials to replace Pt-based CEs. Ternary alloys are amongst the possible alternatives that have been explored, yielding varied results. Alloys, especially ternary sulphides, selenides, and oxides, are attractive as alternatives as they are cheap and are easily fabricated. Ternary alloys also have a synergistic effect produced by the coexistence of two metal ions in a crystal structure, which is believed to induce greater catalytic capability, thus making them ideal cost-effective materials to replace the Pt CE in DSSCs. This review intends to highlight the performance of ternary alloy counter electrodes through the analysis of charge transfer resistance and power conversion efficiencies. Focus is also given to the restrictions and impediments to the attainment of higher power conversion efficiency in alternative CEs. The advances in fabrication of simple ternary alloys, as well as more advanced hierarchical nanostructured counter electrodes, are discussed here in detail. Results obtained to date indicate that the efficiencies of ternary alloy counter electrodes are still below that of the platinum counter electrode, and hence more research is required to enhance their efficiencies.

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“…Huo et al fabricated the flower-like NiCo 2 S 4 /NiS micro-spheres, then the NiCo 2 S 4 /NiS was coated on FTO (fluorine doped tin oxide) conductive glass as a CE for DSSC and the PCE of DSSC increased by 8.24% compared with that of the DSSC based on Pt CE [ 19 ]. A compact NiCo 2 S 4 film with a thickness of 40 nm and a cross-linked network of NiCo 2 S 4 nanosheet film coated FTO conductive glass were used as CEs for DSSC [ 20 , 21 ], and the DSSC with NiCo 2 S 4 CE exhibited higher PCE compared with that of Pt CE-based DSSC. In addition, one-dimensional (1D) nanomaterials (e.g., nanorod, nanowire, nanotube) with direct electrical pathways show excellent application prospects in nanoscale electronic devices.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ti Porous Film-Supported NiCo2S4 Nanotubes Counter Electrode for Quantum-Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells

et al. 2018

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In this paper, a novel Ti porous film-supported NiCo2S4 nanotube was fabricated by the acid etching and two-step hydrothermal method and then used as a counter electrode in a CdS/CdSe quantum-dot-sensitized solar cell. Measurements of the cyclic voltammetry, Tafel polarization curves, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of the symmetric cells revealed that compared with the conventional FTO (fluorine doped tin oxide)/Pt counter electrode, Ti porous film-supported NiCo2S4 nanotubes counter electrode exhibited greater electrocatalytic activity toward polysulfide electrolyte and lower charge-transfer resistance at the interface between electrolyte and counter electrode, which remarkably improved the fill factor, short-circuit current density, and power conversion efficiency of the quantum-dot-sensitized solar cell. Under illumination of one sun (100 mW/cm2), the quantum-dot-sensitized solar cell based on Ti porous film-supported NiCo2S4 nanotubes counter electrode achieved a power conversion efficiency of 3.14%, which is superior to the cell based on FTO/Pt counter electrode (1.3%).

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Pt-sputtering-like NiCo2S4 counter electrode for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells

Cited by 45 publications

References 47 publications

Solution‐Based in–situ Synthesis of Transition Metal Sulfides as Efficient Counter Electrodes for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

Solution‐Based in–situ Synthesis of Transition Metal Sulfides as Efficient Counter Electrodes for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

A Review on the Advancement of Ternary Alloy Counter Electrodes for Use in Dye-Sensitised Solar Cells

Ti Porous Film-Supported NiCo2S4 Nanotubes Counter Electrode for Quantum-Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells

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