High-Efficiency (Over 10%) Parallel Tandem Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Tri-Carbon Electrodes

Abstract

Ensuring high power conversion efficiency, partially or completely replacing Pt electrodes with inexpensive materials is one of the important development directions of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In this work, we have developed a three-component (MWCNTs, carbon black and graphite) carbon (tri-carbon) electrode material for DSSC devices combined with the advantages of high electron transfer kinetics of MWCNTs, plentiful catalytic sites in crystal edges of carbon black and superior electrical conductivity and catalytic activity of graphite. Using a tri-carbon electrode, a Pt electrode, and two N719-sensitized photoanodes, a parallel tandem dye-sensitized solar cells are assembled obtaining a high PCE of 10.26% (V _oc = 0.70 V, J _sc = 19.99 mA/cm², FF = 73.33%). It opens up a new avenue for the development of low-cost and high-performance DSSCs.

Keywords

Dye-sensitized solar cells / MWCNTs / Carbon black / Graphite / Counter electrode

References

[1] O'Regan B, Grätzel M A low-cost, high-efficiency solar cell based on dye-sensitized colloidal TiO₂ films. Nature, 1991, 353(6346): 737-740.

[2] Yun SN, Qin Y, Uhl AR, et al. New-generation integrated devices based on dye-sensitized and perovskite solar cells. Energy Environ Sci, 2018, 11(3): 476-526.

[3] Karim NA, Mehmood U, Zahid HF, et al. Nanostructured photoanode and counter electrode materials for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Sol Energy, 2019, 185: 165-188.

[4] Hagfeldt A, Boschloo G, Sun LC, et al. Dye-sensitized solar cells. Chem Rev, 2010, 110(11): 6595-6663.

[5] Papageorgiou N Counter-electrode function in nanocrystalline photoelectrochemical cell configurations. Coord Chem Rev, 2004, 248(13–14): 1421-1446.

[6] Suzuki K, Yamaguchi M, Kumagai M, et al. Application of carbon nanotubes to counter electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells. Chem Lett, 2003, 32(1): 28-29.

[7] Lee WJ, Ramasamy E, Lee DY, et al. Efficient dye-sensitized solar cells with catalytic multiwall carbon nanotube counter electrodes. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces, 2009, 1(6): 1145-1149.

[8] Lee WJ, Ramasamy E, Lee DY, et al. Performance variation of carbon counter electrode based dye-sensitized solar cell. Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells, 2008, 92(7): 814-818.

[9] Xu SJ, Luo YF, Zhong W Investigation of catalytic activity of glassy carbon with controlled crystallinity for counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells. Sol Energy, 2011, 85(11): 2826-2832.

[10] Hwang S, Batmunkh M, Nine MJ, et al. Dye-sensitized solar cell counter electrodes based on carbon nanotubes. ChemPhysChem, 2015, 16(1): 53-65.

[11] Murakami TN, Ito S, Wang Q, et al. Highly efficient dye-sensitized solar cells based on carbon black counter electrodes. J Electrochem Soc, 2006, 153(12): A2255.

[12] Banks CE, Davies TJ, Wildgoose GG, et al. Electrocatalysis at graphite and carbon nanotube modified electrodes: edge-plane sites and tube ends are the reactive sites. Chem Commun (Camb), 2005, 7: 829-841.

[13] Veerappan G, Bojan K, Rhee SW Sub-micrometer-sized graphite as a conducting and catalytic counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces, 2011, 3(3): 857-862.

[14] Liu GH, Wang H, Li X, et al. A mesoscopic platinized graphite/carbon black counter electrode for a highly efficient monolithic dye-sensitized solar cell. Electrochim Acta, 2012, 69: 334-339.

[15] Hosseinnezhad M, Shadman A, Rezaee B, et al. Tandem organic dye-sensitized solar cells: looking for higher performance and durability. Photonics Nanostruct Fundam Appl, 2018, 31: 34-43.

[16] Yamaguchi T, Uchida Y, Agatsuma S, et al. Series-connected tandem dye-sensitized solar cell for improving efficiency to more than 10%. Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells, 2009, 93(6–7): 733-736.

[17] Yanagida M, Onozawa-Komatsuzaki N, Kurashige M, et al. Optimization of tandem-structured dye-sensitized solar cell. Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells, 2010, 94(2): 297-302.

[18] Li GR, Wang F, Jiang QW, et al. Carbon nanotubes with titanium nitride as a low-cost counter-electrode material for dye-sensitized solar cells. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl, 2010, 49(21): 3653-3656.

[19] Guo JW, Zhang B, Hou Y, et al. A sulfur-assisted strategy to decorate MWCNTs with highly dispersed Pt nanoparticles for counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells. J Mater Chem A, 2013, 1(6): 1982-1986.

[20] González LM, Ramirez D, Jaramillo F Current status and trends of carbon-based electrodes for fully solution-processed perovskite solar cells. J Energy Chem, 2022, 68: 222-246.

[21] Hou Y, Wang D, Yang XH, et al. Rational screening low-cost counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells. Nat Commun, 2013, 4: 1583.

[22] Wang D, Jiang J, Wang HF, et al. Revealing the volcano-shaped activity trend of triiodide reduction reaction: a DFT study coupled with microkinetic analysis. ACS Catal, 2016, 6(2): 733-741.

[23] Liu YF, Zhang XM, Li C, et al. Energy-level control via molecular planarization and its effect on interfacial charge-transfer processes in dye-sensitized solar cells. J Phys Chem C, 2019, 123(22): 13531-13537.

[24] Zheng ZW, Chen J, Hu Y, et al. Efficient sinter-free nanostructure Pt counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells. J Mater Chem C, 2014, 2(40): 8497-8500.

[25] Zhang B, Zhang NN, Chen JF, et al. Turning indium oxide into a superior electrocatalyst: deterministic heteroatoms. Sci Rep, 2013, 3: 3109.

[26] Omar A, Ali MS, Abd Rahim N Electron transport properties analysis of titanium dioxide dye-sensitized solar cells (TiO₂-DSSCs) based natural dyes using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy concept: a review. Sol Energy, 2020, 207: 1088-1121.

[27] Yu F, Shi Y, Yao WH, et al. A new breakthrough for graphene/carbon nanotubes as counter electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells with up to a 10.69% power conversion efficiency. J Power Sources, 2019, 412: 366-373.

[28] Wu MX, Mu L, Wang YD, et al. One-step synthesis of nano-scaled tungsten oxides and carbides for dye-sensitized solar cells as counter electrode catalysts. J Mater Chem A, 2013, 1(25): 7519.

[29] Jin BB, Wang YF, Wang XQ, et al. Pulsed voltage deposited lead selenide thin film as efficient counter electrode for quantum-dot-sensitized solar cells. Appl Surf Sci, 2016, 369: 436-442.

[30] Wang W, Yao JX, Zuo XQ, et al. High efficiency nitrogen-doped core-shell carbon spheres as counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells. Mater Lett, 2018, 227: 172-175.