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Catalytic materials manufactured by the polyol process for monolithic dye‐sensitized solar cells
Author(s) -
Skupien Krzysztof,
Putyra Piotr,
Walter Janusz,
Kozłowski Ryszard H.,
Khelashvili Guram,
Hinsch Andreas,
Würfel Uli
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
progress in photovoltaics: research and applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.286
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1099-159X
pISSN - 1062-7995
DOI - 10.1002/pip.854
Subject(s) - materials science , dielectric spectroscopy , chemical engineering , catalysis , sheet resistance , polyol , platinum , scanning electron microscope , inductively coupled plasma , analytical chemistry (journal) , layer (electronics) , composite material , electrochemistry , chemistry , plasma , organic chemistry , electrode , polyurethane , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering
Three types of screen‐printable catalytic pastes were successfully prepared to be used as counterelectrode for monolithic dye solar cells encapsulated with glass frit. The electroless bottom‐up method or so‐called polyol process has been applied to fabricate thermally stable SnO 2 :Sb/Pt and carbon black/Pt nanocomposites. The catalytic and electric properties of these materials were compared with a new platinum‐free type of carbon counterelectrode. The layers containing low platinum amounts (less than 5 µg/cm 2 ) exhibit a very low charge transfer resistance of about 0·4 Ω · cm 2 . Also the conductive carbon layer shows an acceptable charge transfer resistance of 1·6 Ω · cm 2 . Additionally the catalytic layer containing porous carbon black reveals excellent sheet resistance below 5 Ω/□; this feature has enabled to work out a low cost counterelectrode which combined suitable catalytic and conductive properties. The layers have been characterized using following methods: electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM), energy filter transmission electron microscopy (EF‐TEM) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP‐MS). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.