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Electrochemically Prepared Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxy‐ thiophene)/Polypyrrole Films with Hollow Micro‐/Nanohorn Arrays as High‐Efficiency Counter Electrodes for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells
Author(s) -
Bai Yang,
Xu Youlong,
Wang Jie,
Gao Mingqi,
Zhu Jianbo,
Rehman Wasif ur
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
chemelectrochem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.182
H-Index - 59
ISSN - 2196-0216
DOI - 10.1002/celc.201600191
Subject(s) - pedot:pss , materials science , polypyrrole , dye sensitized solar cell , auxiliary electrode , chemical engineering , indium tin oxide , electrode , conductive polymer , polymerization , nanotechnology , tin oxide , thiophene , energy conversion efficiency , thin film , oxide , polymer , layer (electronics) , optoelectronics , composite material , organic chemistry , chemistry , engineering , electrolyte , metallurgy
A two‐step approach is employed for quick and controllable electropolymerization of poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)/polypyrrole (PPy) hollow micro‐/nanohorns on fluorinated tin oxide (FTO) glass substrates as counter electrodes (CEs) for Pt‐free dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSCs). PPy films with hollow micro‐/nanohorn arrays are grown on FTO glasses by a modified pulse potentiostatic method in the first step. Then PEDOT is potentiostatically polymerized onto them as the CEs. Owing to the relatively high catalytic activity of PEDOT and the high specific surface area of hollow micro‐/nanohorn PPy (hPPy), the compound film shows electrocatalytic activity for I 3 − reduction similar to that of Pt. Therefore, DSCs assembled with this CE exhibit comparable power conversion efficiency (7.08 %) to DSCs with Pt CEs (6.88 %). The PEDOT/PPy film with hollow micro‐/nanohorn arrays can be considered to be a promising alternative CE material for Pt‐free DSCs.