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Microwave-assisted exfoliation method to develop platinum-decorated graphene nanosheets as a low cost counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

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Title Microwave-assisted exfoliation method to develop platinum-decorated graphene nanosheets as a low cost counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells
 
Creator SARANYA, K
SIVASANKAR, N
SUBRAMANIA, A
 
Subject REDOX ELECTROLYTE
CARBON NANOTUBES
FACILE SYNTHESIS
EFFICIENCY
FILMS
SHEETS
NANOPARTICLE
COMPOSITE
GRAPHITE
OXIDE
 
Description Graphene nanosheets (GNs) are prepared from natural graphite by a simple ecofriendly microwave-assisted exfoliation technique. The as prepared GNs are decorated with platinum (Pt) nanoparticles by a simple chemical reduction method and used as a low-cost counter electrode (CE) material for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Structure and morphology of the prepared GNs and Pt-decorated GNs (Pt-GNs) are evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) studies. The electrochemical behavior of GNs and Pt-GNs are compared with std. Pt using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies. These studies indicate that the Pt-GNs-based counter electrode offered superior electrocatalytic activity towards the I-/I3(-) redox mediator with enhanced charge transfer rate and exchange current density at the electrode/electrolyte interface over std. Pt and GNs-based counter electrodes. DSSCs are fabricated with std. Pt, GNs and Pt-GNs to determine the photovoltaic performance under 1 Sun illumination (100 mW cm(-2), AM 1.5). It is found that the cell fabricated with 1 wt% Pt-decorated GNs as counter electrode showed an 11% improvement in photovoltaic cell efficiency compared with the cell assembled with std. platinum and other reported graphene-Pt-based composites as counter electrodes.
 
Publisher ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY
 
Date 2014-12-29T06:10:26Z
2014-12-29T06:10:26Z
2014
 
Type Article
 
Identifier RSC ADVANCES, 4(68)36226-36233
2046-2069
http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c4ra05044d
http://dspace.library.iitb.ac.in/jspui/handle/100/17276
 
Language English