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Ordered Mesoporous Tungsten Suboxide Counter Electrode for Highly Efficient Iodine‐Free Electrolyte‐Based Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells
Author(s) -
Jeong Inyoung,
Jo Changshin,
Anthonysamy Arockiam,
Kim JungMin,
Kang Eunae,
Hwang Jongkook,
Ramasamy Easwaramoorthi,
Rhee ShiWoo,
Kim Jin Kon,
Ha KyoungSu,
Jun KiWon,
Lee Jinwoo
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
chemsuschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.412
H-Index - 157
eISSN - 1864-564X
pISSN - 1864-5631
DOI - 10.1002/cssc.201200647
Subject(s) - electrolyte , dye sensitized solar cell , auxiliary electrode , mesoporous material , tafel equation , suboxide , materials science , cyclic voltammetry , dielectric spectroscopy , inorganic chemistry , electrochemistry , catalysis , triiodide , electrode , chemical engineering , oxide , chemistry , organic chemistry , metallurgy , engineering
A disulfide/thiolate (T 2 /T − ) redox‐couple electrolyte, which is a promising iodine‐free electrolyte owing to its transparent and noncorrosive properties, requires alternative counter‐electrode materials because conventional Pt shows poor catalytic activity in such an electrolyte. Herein, ordered mesoporous tungsten suboxide (m‐WO 3− x ), synthesized by using KIT‐6 silica as a hard template followed by a partial reduction, is used as a catalyst for a counter electrode in T 2 /T − ‐electrolyte‐based dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The mesoporous tungsten suboxide, which possesses interconnected pores of 4 and 20 nm, provides a large surface area and efficient electrolyte penetration into the m‐WO 3− x pores. In addition to the advantages conferred by the mesoporous structure, partial reduction of tungsten oxide creates oxygen vacancies that can function as active catalytic sites, which causes a high electrical conductivity because of intervalence charge transfer between the W 5+ and W 6+ ions. m‐WO 3− x shows a superior photovoltaic performance (79 % improvement in the power conversion efficiency) over Pt in the T 2 /T − electrolyte. The superior catalytic activity of m‐WO 3− x is investigated by using cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and Tafel polarization curve analysis.