Electrochemical catalytic activity study of nitrogen-containing hierarchically porous carbon and its application in dye-sensitized solar cells. Issue 98 (10th October 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Baro, Mridula; Jaidev, ; Ramaprabhu, Sundara
• Is Part Of: RSC advances. Volume 6:Issue 98(2016)
• Page Start: 96109
• Page End: 96120
• Publication Date: 2016-10-10
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540.5
• DOI: 10.1039/c6ra18121j
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2046-2069

Abstract

Abstract : Nitrogen-containing hierarchically porous carbon is derived by carbonizing and activating polypyrrole nanostructure (APNP) using a template-free synthesis method and is demonstrated to be an efficient counter electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Abstract : Nitrogen-containing hierarchically porous carbon is derived by carbonizing and activating polypyrrole nanostructure (APNP) using a template-free synthesis method and is demonstrated to be an efficient counter electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). APNP exhibits an interconnected hierarchical pore structure with a pore volume of 0.52 cm 3 g −1 and a large specific surface area of 707.98 m 2 g −1 . The material also displays a low degree of graphitization phase as well as numerous defects. The sheet resistance and conductivity of the APNP CE film are 2.05 × 10 3 Ω sq −1 and 35.86 S m −1, respectively. Electrochemical catalytic activity and photovoltaic performance studies demonstrate that APNP exhibits significant catalytic activity towards triiodide (I3 − ) reduction and shows power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.58%, which is comparable to Pt-based DSSCs (6.93%). We observed that, apart from improving the surface area and pore structure, the chemical activation process increases defect sites, conductivity and the graphitic N state, hence reduces the charge transfer resistance in the CE, and finally enhances the PCE of the DSSC.