Efficient NiSe-Ni3Se2/Graphene Electrocatalyst in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: The Role of Hollow Hybrid Nanostructure

Xiao Zhang; Mengmeng Zhen; Jinwu Bai; Shaowei Jin; Lu Liu

doi:10.1021/acsami.6b02350

Efficient NiSe-Ni3Se2/Graphene Electrocatalyst in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: The Role of Hollow Hybrid Nanostructure

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2016 Jul 13;8(27):17187-93. doi: 10.1021/acsami.6b02350. Epub 2016 Jun 27.

Authors

Xiao Zhang¹, Mengmeng Zhen¹, Jinwu Bai¹, Shaowei Jin², Lu Liu¹

Affiliations

¹ College of Environmental Science and Engineering/Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Nankai University , Tianjin 300071, P. R. China.
² School of Physics and Materials Science, Anhui University , Hefei, 230601, P. R. China.

PMID: 27314283
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b02350

Abstract

Hollow and hybrid nanomaterials are excellent electrocatalysts on account of their novel electrocatalytic properties compared with homogeneous solid nanostructures. In this report, NiSe-Ni3Se2 hybrid nanostructure with morphology of hollow hexagonal nanodisk was synthesized in situ on graphene. A series of NiSe-Ni3Se2/RGO with different phase constitutions and nanostructures were obtained by controlling the durations of solvothermal treatment. Because of their unique hollow and hybrid structure, NiSe-Ni3Se2/RGO hollow nanodisks exhibited higher electrocatalytic performance than NiSe/RGO and solid NiSe-Ni3Se2/RGO nanostructure for reducing I3(-) as counter cell (CE) of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Additionally, NiSe-Ni3Se2/RGO hollow nanodisks achieved much lower charge transfer resistance (Rct = 0.68 Ω) and higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) (7.87%) than those of Pt (Rct = 1.41 Ω, PCE = 7.28%).

Keywords: NiSe-Ni3Se2; electrocatalyst; graphene; hollow hybrid nanostructure; mesoporous hexagon.