Nickel incorporated carbon nanotube/nanofiber composites as counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells.
Summary of "Nickel incorporated carbon nanotube/nanofiber composites as counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells."
A nickel incorporated carbon nanotube/nanofiber composite (Ni-CNT-CNF) was used as a low cost alternative to Pt as counter electrode (CE) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Measurements based on energy dispersive X-rays spectroscopy (EDX) showed that the majority of the composite CE was carbon at 88.49 wt%, while the amount of Ni nanoparticles was about 11.51 wt%. Measurements based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) showed that the charge transfer resistance (R(ct)) of the Ni-CNT-CNF composite electrode was 0.71 Ω cm(2), much lower than that of the Pt electrode (1.81 Ω cm(2)). Such a low value of R(ct) indicated that the Ni-CNT-CNF composite carried a higher catalytic activity than the traditional Pt CE. By mixing with CNTs and Ni nanoparticles, series resistance (R(s)) of the Ni-CNT-CNF electrode was measured as 5.96 Ω cm(2), which was close to the R(s) of 5.77 Ω cm(2) of the Pt electrode, despite the significant difference in their thicknesses: ∼22 μm for Ni-CNT-CNF composite, while ∼40 nm for Pt film. This indicated that use of a thick layer (tens of microns) of Ni-CNT-CNF counter electrode does not add a significant amount of resistance to the total series resistance (R(s-tot)) in DSCs. The DSCs based on the Ni-CNT-CNF composite CEs yielded an efficiency of 7.96% with a short circuit current density (J(sc)) of 15.83 mA cm(-2), open circuit voltage (V(oc)) of 0.80 V, and fill factor (FF) of 0.63, which was comparable to the device based on Pt, that exhibited an efficiency of 8.32% with J(sc) of 15.01 mA cm(-2), V(oc) of 0.83, and FF of 0.67.
Affiliation
Center for Advanced Photovoltaics, Department of Electrical Engineering, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA. Qiquan.qiao@sdstate.edu.
Journal Details
This article was published in the following journal.
Name: Nanoscale
ISSN: 2040-3372
Pages: 5659-64
Links
- PubMed Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22868278
- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c2nr31379k
Medical and Biotech [MESH] Definitions
Nanotubes
Nanometer-sized tubes composed of various substances including carbon (CARBON NANOTUBES), boron nitride, or nickel vanadate.
Blood Gas Monitoring, Transcutaneous
The noninvasive measurement or determination of the partial pressure (tension) of oxygen and/or carbon dioxide locally in the capillaries of a tissue by the application to the skin of a special set of electrodes. These electrodes contain photoelectric sensors capable of picking up the specific wavelengths of radiation emitted by oxygenated versus reduced hemoglobin.
Behind-the-counter Drugs
Medicines that are stocked behind the counter of a pharmacy which require the attention or counsel of a pharmacist before being dispensed or handed over to a consumer or patient.
Chromium Alloys
Specific alloys not less than 85% chromium and nickel or cobalt, with traces of either nickel or cobalt, molybdenum, and other substances. They are used in partial dentures, orthopedic implants, etc.
Ion-selective Electrodes
Electrodes which can be used to measure the concentration of particular ions in cells, tissues, or solutions.
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