Free‐Standing Graphene/Conducting Polymer Hybrid Cathodes as FTO and Pt‐Free Electrode for Quasi‐State Dye Sensitized Solar Cells. Issue 15 (28th September 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ramalingam, Karthick; Panchu, SarojiniJeeva; Salunke, Ashish Shivaji; Muthukumar, Kamalambika; Ramanujam, Ashwin; Muthiah, Selvaraj
• Is Part Of: ChemistrySelect. Volume 1:Issue 15(2016)
• Page Start: 4814
• Page End: 4822
• Publication Date: 2016-09-28
• Subjects: conducting polymer -- counter electrode -- free-standing graphene -- quasi-dye sensitized solar cell; Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540.5
• DOI: 10.1002/slct.201600874
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2365-6549

Abstract

Abstract: Highly conducting freestanding graphene (FSG) was synthesized by the simple vacuum filtration method and utilized as a cathode current collector for (fluorine doped tin oxide) FTO free quasi‐dye sensitized solar cell (q‐DSSC). Subsequently, conducting polymers (CPs) viz., polyaniline (PANI) and poly(3, 4‐ethylene‐di‐oxythiophene) (PEDOT) was decorated on FSG surface by electrochemical polymerization which acts as a electrocatalytst for Pt free q‐DSSC. Entirely, the FSG/CPs affords as a novel cathode architecture for FTO/Pt free electrode for q‐DSSCs. Remarkably, the FSG paper electrode exhibits lower sheet resistance (9‐11 Ω sq ‐1 ) than the FTO which was directly utilized as current collector. Interestingly, the FSG/CPs based cathode shows an improved electro‐catalytic behaviour towards tri‐iodide reduction and in particularly, the photovoltaic performance of FSG/PEDOT shows power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 5.4 % compared with Pt/FTO of 5.1 %. It can be stated that synergetic effect of FSG/PEDOT proves to be a cost effective and efficientsubstitute for cathodes in q‐DSSC. Abstract : Self–supported back electrode:Free Standing Graphene conducting electrode owing to its excellent current collecting capacity has been used as a back electrode for q‐DSSC. This electrode all together with conducting polymer improve the photoelectrochemical performance and prove to be a cheaper substitute to Pt/FTO Counter Electrode.