A Reusable N‐Doped‐Carbon‐Coated Mo2C Composite Counter Electrode for High‐Efficiency Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells. Issue 68 (14th November 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Ting; Wang, Jiabo; Chen, Weilin; Zheng, Xiaotao; Wang, Enbo
• Is Part Of: Chemistry. Volume 23:Issue 68(2017)
• Page Start: 17311
• Page End: 17317
• Publication Date: 2017-11-14
• Subjects: counter electrode -- dye-sensitized solar cells -- high dispersion -- molybdenum carbide -- solid-phase synthesis; Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540
• DOI: 10.1002/chem.201703519
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0947-6539

Abstract

Abstract: The design and development of efficient and stable nonprecious‐metal‐based catalysts for counter electrodes (CEs) in dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) has received a great deal of attention. In this work, molybdenum carbide nanoparticles homogeneously distributed in a nitrogen‐rich carbon matrix (Mo2 C@NC) have been synthesized from inexpensive raw materials (polyoxometalate and dicyandiamide) by a facile one‐step solid‐phase synthesis method. The novel Mo2 C@NC hybrid was not only used as a CE in a DSSC, but also showed superior catalytic activity towards I3 − /I − as a redox electrolyte. The power conversion efficiency of a DSSC with Mo2 C@NC as the CE was as high as 6.49 %, comparable to that with Pt (6.38 %). The CE was prepared by a drop‐coating method, without the addition of another conductive polymer. Most importantly, the method circumvents the problem of the sample falling off from the fluorine‐doped tin oxide (FTO), and the CE could be repeatedly reused with unchanged efficiency. Therefore, it opens the way for the development of platinum‐free catalysts with low cost, simple processing, good stability, and high efficiency. Abstract : Pt‐free electrode material : A polyoxometalate and dicyandiamide have been heated at high temperature to obtain highly dispersed Mo2 C nanoparticles. The obtained material can serve as an alternative to Pt to assemble a reusable counter electrode for high‐efficiency dye‐sensitized solar cells (see figure).