TY - JOUR
T1 - ZnO-nitrogen doped carbon derived from a zeolitic imidazolate framework as an efficient counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells
AU - Ahmed, Abdelaal S.A.
AU - Xiang, Wanchun
AU - Amiinu, Ibrahim Saana
AU - Li, Ziying
AU - Yu, Ruohan
AU - Zhao, Xiujian
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 The Royal Society of Chemistry.
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - By direct carbonization of ZIF-8 nanopowder under an inert atmosphere, ZnO-nitrogen doped carbon (ZnO-NC) materials have been prepared and added at different content values to polystyrenesulfonate-doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT:PSS) and employed as an efficient catalyst in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The electrochemical analysis confirms that the prepared counter electrodes display catalytic activity higher than those of PEDOT:PSS and Pt CEs for I3-/I- and [Co(bpy)3]2+/3+ redox mediators. The photovoltaic conversion efficiency of the assembled DSSC with the 7% ZnO-NC/PEDOT:PSS catalyst and an I3-/I- based electrolyte is 8.05%. By increasing the thickness of the prepared counter electrode, the electrocatalytic activity is greatly enhanced and the total performance reaches 9.16%, which is 21.16% greater than that of the Pt-based cell (7.56%). Furthermore, ZnO-NC/PEDOT:PSS CEs are also confirmed to exhibit outstanding catalytic activity toward the [Co(bpy)3]2+/3+ redox couple. The resultant conversion efficiency of the assembled DSSC with a 7% ZnO-NC/PEDOT:PSS CE is 8.12%, which is greater than that of the Pt-based cell (7.49%).
AB - By direct carbonization of ZIF-8 nanopowder under an inert atmosphere, ZnO-nitrogen doped carbon (ZnO-NC) materials have been prepared and added at different content values to polystyrenesulfonate-doped poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT:PSS) and employed as an efficient catalyst in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The electrochemical analysis confirms that the prepared counter electrodes display catalytic activity higher than those of PEDOT:PSS and Pt CEs for I3-/I- and [Co(bpy)3]2+/3+ redox mediators. The photovoltaic conversion efficiency of the assembled DSSC with the 7% ZnO-NC/PEDOT:PSS catalyst and an I3-/I- based electrolyte is 8.05%. By increasing the thickness of the prepared counter electrode, the electrocatalytic activity is greatly enhanced and the total performance reaches 9.16%, which is 21.16% greater than that of the Pt-based cell (7.56%). Furthermore, ZnO-NC/PEDOT:PSS CEs are also confirmed to exhibit outstanding catalytic activity toward the [Co(bpy)3]2+/3+ redox couple. The resultant conversion efficiency of the assembled DSSC with a 7% ZnO-NC/PEDOT:PSS CE is 8.12%, which is greater than that of the Pt-based cell (7.49%).
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85069691105
U2 - 10.1039/c8se00594j
DO - 10.1039/c8se00594j
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85069691105
SN - 2398-4902
VL - 3
SP - 1976
EP - 1987
JO - Sustainable Energy and Fuels
JF - Sustainable Energy and Fuels
IS - 8
ER -
