Platinum-free binary Co-Ni alloy counter electrodes for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells

Xiaoxu Chen; Qunwei Tang; Benlin He; Lin Lin; Liangmin Yu

doi:10.1002/anie.201406982

Platinum-free binary Co-Ni alloy counter electrodes for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2014 Sep 26;53(40):10799-803. doi: 10.1002/anie.201406982. Epub 2014 Aug 21.

Authors

Xiaoxu Chen¹, Qunwei Tang, Benlin He, Lin Lin, Liangmin Yu

Affiliation

¹ Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, 238 Songling Road, Laoshan District, Qingdao 266100 (P.R. China).

PMID: 25146894
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201406982

Abstract

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have attracted growing interest because of their application in renewable energy technologies in developing modern low-carbon economies. However, the commercial application of DSSCs has been hindered by the high expenses of platinum (Pt) counter electrodes (CEs). Here we use Pt-free binary Co-Ni alloys synthesized by a mild hydrothermal strategy as CE materials in efficient DSSCs. As a result of the rapid charge transfer, good electrical conduction, and reasonable electrocatalysis, the power conversion efficiencies of Co-Ni-based DSSCs are higher than those of Pt-only CEs, and the fabrication expense is markedly reduced. The DSSCs based on a CoNi0.25 alloy CE displays an impressive power conversion efficiency of 8.39%, fast start-up, multiple start/stop cycling, and good stability under extended irradiation.

Keywords: alloys; counter electrodes; dye-sensitized solar cells; electrochemistry; energy conversion.