Functionalized multi-wall carbon nanotubes/TiO2 composites as efficient photoanodes for dye sensitized solar cells

Year: 2016

Authors: Benetti D., Dembele KT., Benavides J., Zhao HG., Cloutier S., Concina I., Vomiero A., Rosei F.

Autors Affiliation: INRS Ctr Energy Mat & Telecommun, 1650 Boul Lionel Boulet, Varennes, PQ J3X 1S2, Canada; Ecole Technol Super, Dept Genie Elect, 1100 Rue Notre Dame Ouest, Montreal, PQ H3C 1K3, Canada; CNR INO SENSOR Lab, Via Branze 45, I-25123 Brescia, Italy; Univ Brescia, Dept Informat Engn, SENSOR Lab, Via Valotti 9, I-25133 Brescia, Italy; Lulea Univ Technol, Dept Engn Sci & Math, Div Mat Sci, S-97187 Lulea, Sweden; Univ Elect Sci & Technol China, Inst Fundamental & Frontier Sci, Chengdu 610054, Peoples R China; McGill Univ, Ctr Self Assembled Chem Struct, 801 Sherbrooke St W, Montreal, PQ H3A 2K6, Canada.

Abstract: We report on the effects of incorporation of different concentrations of carboxyl group (COOH)-functionalized multi-wall carbon nanotubes (F-MWCNTs) into TiO2 active layers for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Standard DSSCs with bare TiO2 exhibit a photo-conversion efficiency (PCE) of 6.05% and a short circuit current density (J(sc)) of 13.3 mA cm(-2). The presence of 2 wt% F-MWCNTs in the photoanodes increases the PCE up to 7.95% and J(sc) up to 17.5 mA cm(-2). The photoanodes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The electrochemical behaviour of the solar cells was investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). We attribute the improved performances to the combined effect of increased dye loading and reduced charge recombination (as clarified by dye loading and EIS measurements), due to the conformal coverage of F-MWCNTs, which allows fast and efficient charge collection in operating solar cells. These results can help in improving the PCE in DSSCs in an elegant and straightforward way, minimizing the need of additional steps (e.g. pre-and post-treatment with TiCl4) for photoanode preparation.

Journal/Review: JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C

Volume: 4 (16)      Pages from: 3555  to: 3562

More Information: A. V. is thankful to the European Union for partial salary support under contract No. 299490, MC-IOF and under contract No. 295216, IRSES-WIROX. A. V. is grateful to the Kempe Foundation and LTU Labfonden program for funding for equipment. F. R. is grateful to NSERC for funding and partial salary support through a EWR Steacie Memorial Fellowship and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for a FW Bessel Award. F. R. acknowledges the FQRNT for funding through team projects, and funding from MDEIE for an international collaboration grant in collaboration with the European Network WIROX. H. Z. acknowledges NSERC for a postdoctoral fellowship. IC thanks VINNOVA for partial salary support under the Project Light Energy’’ (LiEn).
KeyWords: Transparent Conducting Oxide; Tio2 Nanorods; Transport; Graphene; Recombination; Electrolyte; Collection; Arrays
DOI: 10.1039/c6tc00800c

Citations: 62
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