Self-supported construction of nanorod-based hierarchical NiCo 2 S 4 as high-performance electrode for solar cells
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Self‑supported construction of nanorod‑based hierarchical NiCo2S4 as high‑performance electrode for solar cells Yong Liu1 · Wen Wang1 · Guang Li1,2,3 Received: 24 April 2020 / Accepted: 6 July 2020 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Low catalytic capacity caused by the insufficient contact between an electrolyte and a counter electrode material is still a bottleneck for the commercial use of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). This is because the microstructure is uncontrollable during the preparation of such materials, which are prone to accumulation and collapse, resulting in a low electron transfer rate and high charge transfer resistance. Herein, the self-supported construction of hierarchical nanorod flower (RF) and hierarchical nanosphere flower (SF) consisting of ultrathin N iCo2S4 nanosheets was designed for their application as counter electrode catalysts, wherein the entire preparation process was controllable and efficient. Transmission electron microscopy and scanning electronic microscopy results indicated that the RF structure has a better three-dimensional spatial structure. Moreover, the power conversion efficiency of the RF structure was higher than those of the SF structure and noble Pt. This is mainly because the RF structure has a larger contact area than the SF structure. Therefore, with the RF structure, electrons are more likely to shuttle inside the material, thereby increasing the activity of the electrode material and improving its catalytic capacity and conductivity. This study will make an important contribution to the research of DSSCs in which the counter electrode is Pt-free.
1 Introduction With the deterioration of the world’s environment and the sharp decrease in fossil energy reserves, the primary task of all countries is to identify and develop clean energy sources [1, 2]. Therefore, most of the cutting-edge energy technologies are generally based on the conversion, use, and storage of clean and renewable energy [3]. Solar energy is known as a clean and inexhaustible energy source, and solar-based systems cause less pollution than fossil-fuelpowered ones [4]. Over the last few decades, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), which mimic the energy conversion process of photosynthesis, have received considerable attention because of their low cost, high stability, and excellent power conversion efficiency (PCE) [5, 6]. The mechanism * Guang Li [email protected]; [email protected] 1
School of Physics and Materials Science, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
2
Anhui Key Laboratory of Information Materials and Devices, Hefei 230601, China
3
Institute of Physical Science and Information Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
of DSSCs involves the use of dyes to absorb light energy and convert it to electrical energy [7]. A typical DSSC device includes three main parts: a photoanode, formed from porous nanocrystals of TiO2 films were deposited on transparent FTO glass; conventional electrolytes containing I−
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