Premium
High‐performance counter electrode based on nitrogen‐doped porous carbon nanoribbons for quantum dot‐sensitized solar cells
Author(s) -
Dong Weinan,
Liu Jieqiong,
Wang Guiqiang
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
international journal of energy research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.808
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1099-114X
pISSN - 0363-907X
DOI - 10.1002/er.5385
Subject(s) - materials science , auxiliary electrode , electrode , electrolyte , polysulfide , electrochemistry , chemical engineering , solar cell , quantum dot , energy conversion efficiency , carbonization , nanotechnology , carbon fibers , inorganic chemistry , optoelectronics , chemistry , composite material , scanning electron microscope , engineering , composite number
Summary Nitrogen‐doped porous carbon nanoribbons (NPCNs) are facilely prepared by carbonization of polypyrrole (PPy) nanotubes followed by a chemical activation process. NPCN counter electrodes are subsequently fabricated by depositing NPCNs onto Ti mesh for quantum dot‐sensitized solar cells (QDSCs). Electrochemical tests are carried out to evaluate the electrocatalytic performance of obtained NPCN electrode. The data of electrochemical tests suggest that the NPCN electrode has a superior electrocatalytic ability towards polysulfide ( S 2 2− / S 2− ) electrolyte regeneration reaction and displays a high stability in polysulfide electrolyte. The excellent electrocatalytic performance of NPCN electrode can be ascribed to their large surface area, 2D porous nanoribbon morphology, and nitrogen atom doping, which provides abundant electrocatalytic active sites and facilitates the electrolyte diffusion. Consequently, a power conversion efficiency of 3.27% is obtained by using NPCN electrode as the counter electrode for QDSC. This efficiency is close to the QDSC assembled with commonly used PbS electrode (4.0%).