Graphene-mediated highly-dispersed MoS2 nanosheets with enhanced triiodide reduction activity for dye-sensitized solar cells. (April 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yu, Chang; Meng, Xiangtong; Song, Xuedan; Liang, Suxia; Dong, Qiang; Wang, Gang; Hao, Ce; Yang, Xichuan; Ma, Tingli; Ajayan, Pulickel M.; Qiu, Jieshan
• Is Part Of: Carbon. Volume 100(2016)
• Page Start: 474
• Page End: 483
• Publication Date: 2016-04
• Subjects: Carbon -- Periodicals; Carbone -- Périodiques; Koolstof; Toepassingen; Electronic journals; 546.681
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2016.01.042
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0008-6223

Abstract

Abstract: Novel composites made of two dimensional (2D) MoS2 nanosheets and graphene (G) have been fabricated by a combined approach of chemical vapor deposition and hydrothermal technique. The G film helps to mediate the growth and dispersion of MoS2 nanosheets, of which the unique role of G in the MoS2 growth is revealed by density functional theory study. The results show that the hexagonal lattice carbon of the G film can easily interact with sulfur species derived from reaction precursors, which favors the uniform growth of 2D MoS2 . The unique function of the G film demonstrated here can be extended to other carbon substrates for growing 2D MoS2 nanosheets. The G-MoS2 composites consisting of two types of 2D materials are tested as the binder-free counter electrodes (CEs) for dye-sensitized solar cells, showing a high power conversion efficiency of 7.1% that is comparable to the expensive Pt CEs. The 2D G film in the hybrids has two functions: the active sites for dispersing the electrochemically active MoS2 crystals and the high electrical conducting matrix for fast charge transfer. This synergistic effect may help to shed a light on the functionalization of other inorganic materials to G for advanced energy applications.