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1D-2D carbon heterostructure with low Pt loading as a superior cathode electrode for dye-sensitized solar cell

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Abstract

Cost-effective counter electrode (CE) with high electrocatalytic performance is very much essential for the wide application of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). The 1D-2D carbon heterostructure (Pt/GR@CNT) with low platinum (Pt) loading has been synthesized by a facile in situ microwave-assisted polyol-reduction method. The excellent electrocatalytic activity as well as photovoltaic performance was achieved due to the combination of 2D graphene nanoribbons (GR) and 1D multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) with high catalytically active Pt nanoparticles. Microwave-assisted longitudinal unzipping of few outer layers of CNTs along with co-reduction of Pt nanoparticles is an effective method to create electrochemically active defective edge sites, which have a crucial role in enhancing electrochemical performance. Synergistic effect of ultra-fine Pt nanoparticles, partially unzipped graphene nanoribbons and inner core tubes of CNTs modulates the power conversion efficiency of solar cell to 5.57% ± 0.03 as compared with 4.73% ± 0.13 of CNTs. Pt/GR@CNT CE even with low Pt loading of 14 μg cm−2 showcases equivalent performance with that of pure Pt counter electrode.

Graphical abstract shows the partially unzipped graphene nanoribbons over the CNTs with low Pt loading for the enhanced photovoltaic performance

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India for the financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alternative Energy and Nanotechnology Laboratory (AENL), Nano Functional Materials Technology Centre (NFMTC), Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036, India

    Divya Nechiyil & S. Ramaprabhu

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  1. Divya Nechiyil
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  2. S. Ramaprabhu
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Correspondence to S. Ramaprabhu.

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Nechiyil, D., Ramaprabhu, S. 1D-2D carbon heterostructure with low Pt loading as a superior cathode electrode for dye-sensitized solar cell. J Nanopart Res 19, 27 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-017-3740-y

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