1. Fallen leaves derived honeycomb-like porous carbon as a metal-free and low-cost counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells with excellent tri-iodide reduction
- Author
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Jae Su Yu, S. Chandra Sekhar, Goli Nagaraju, Sung Min Cha, and L. Krishna Bharat
- Subjects
Auxiliary electrode ,Materials science ,Carbonization ,chemistry.chemical_element ,02 engineering and technology ,010402 general chemistry ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Tin oxide ,Electrochemistry ,01 natural sciences ,0104 chemical sciences ,Surfaces, Coatings and Films ,Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials ,Biomaterials ,Dye-sensitized solar cell ,Colloid and Surface Chemistry ,chemistry ,Chemical engineering ,0210 nano-technology ,Platinum ,Pyrolysis ,Carbon - Abstract
Utilizing carbon-based counter electrodes (CEs) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have received much attention in recent times, owing to their low cost, good electrochemical activity, natural abundance and eco-friendly nature. Herein, we have facilely prepared quince leaves derived porous carbon (QLPC) using fallen quince leaves (QLs) and it was used as a cost-effective CE for the fabrication of DSSCs. By means of alkali treatment and pyrolysis process (at different temperatures of 700, 800 and 900 °C), the QLs powder undergoes chemical activation and carbonization, which results in a honeycomb-like QLPC with abundant micro/mesopores and large surface area. Simple and straightforward coating of QLPC samples onto fluorine doped tin oxide glass substrates led to improved electrocatalytic activity and good tri-iodide reduction in DSSCs. When the DSSCs were illuminated under 1 sun condition (AM 1.5; 100 mW cm −2 ), the device assembled with QLPC-based CE (prepared at 800 °C) showed a higher current density of ∼14.99 mA/cm 2 and power conversion efficiency of ∼5.52% among the other QLPC-based CEs, which are comparable with the platinum-based CE in DSSCs. This facile process for the preparation of biomass derived carbon-based CE provides an alternative to the noble metal-free CE in DSSCs.
- Published
- 2018