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Scalable Low‐Cost SnS 2 Nanosheets as Counter Electrode Building Blocks for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells
Author(s) -
Bai Yang,
Zong Xu,
Yu Hua,
Chen ZhiGang,
Wang Lianzhou
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201402657
Subject(s) - triiodide , auxiliary electrode , nanosheet , dye sensitized solar cell , materials science , electrode , energy conversion efficiency , electrochemistry , fabrication , nanotechnology , photovoltaic system , catalysis , noble metal , environmentally friendly , transparency (behavior) , optoelectronics , chemical engineering , metal , chemistry , computer science , electrical engineering , organic chemistry , alternative medicine , electrolyte , ecology , pathology , engineering , biology , metallurgy , medicine , computer security
A new type of semitransparent SnS 2 nanosheet (NS) films were synthesized using a simple and environmentally friendly solution‐processed approach, which were subsequently used as a counter electrode (CE) alternative to the noble metal Pt for triiodide reduction in dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The resultant SnS 2 ‐based CE with a thickness of about 300 nm exhibited excellent electrochemical catalytic activity for catalyzing the reduction of triiodide and demonstrated comparable power conversion efficiency of 7.64 % with that of expensive Pt‐based CE in DSSCs (7.71 %). When functionalized with a small amount of carbon nanoparticles, the SnS 2 NS‐based CE showed even better performance of 8.06 % than Pt under the same conditions. Considering the facile fabrication method, optical transparency, low cost, and remarkable catalytic property, this study on SnS 2 NSs may shed light on the large‐scale production of electrocatalytic electrode materials for low‐cost photovoltaic devices.