Reduced graphene oxide films as transparent counter-electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2012

Authors

Rui Cruz (Author) FEUP; David Alfredo Pacheco Tanaka (Author) FEUP; Adélio Mendes (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Solar Energy

Vol. 86 No. 2

ISSN: 0038-092X

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 87 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 98 Citations

INSPEC

Scientific classification

FOS: Engineering and technology > Chemical engineering

Associated Projects

SolarSel - Desenvolvimento de um sistema inovador de selagem e montagem de DSC

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-DFZ

DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2011.11.010

Abstract (EN): Stand-alone graphene-based films were prepared from graphene oxide (GO) nanoplatelets and their use as counter-electrodes (CEs) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) was investigated. The graphene-based CEs were produced by spray deposition of GO and chemically reduced GO, followed by thermal annealing under an inert atmosphere. These GO-based CEs were shown to have similar transparency as a reference CE made of Pt. Consistent with impedance data from symmetrical half-cells, DSCs assembled with such GO-based CEs exhibited relative efficiencies of ca. 75% comparatively to the reference Pt CE. The possibility of obtaining transparent (transmittance higher than 80%) and reasonable catalytic films for DSCs (energy conversion efficiency of 2.64%) from GO nanoplatelets was demonstrated. The need for reduction of the graphene oxide nanoplatelets prior to deposition was not observed, allowing for a simplified CE manufacturing process. However, further work is still needed to equal or surpass the performance of Pt CEs.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

Notes: Publicação abrangida pelo Journal Citation Reports 2015

No. of pages: 9