Counter Electrode for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

by Alagarsamy Pandikumar, Kandasamy Jothivnekatachalam

Overview

Renewable energies have become an attractive option to overcome the energy demands in sustainable and affordable ways. It has been estimated that one-third of the total renewable energies would be generated from photovoltaics (PVs). A solar or PV cell is a device that directly converts sunlight into electricity by taking benefit of the photoelectric effect. In the third-generation solar PVs, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are believed to be the most promising and have attracted wide attention. The optimization of a DSSC is focused on four main components: (i) metal oxide semiconductor, (ii) photosensitizer, (iii) redox couple electrolyte, and (iv) counter electrode. Among these, the counter electrode undertakes three functions: (i) as a catalyst, (ii) as a positive electrode of primary cells, and (iii) as a mirror. To obey these functions, the electrode material should have high catalytic activity, high conductivity, high reflectivity, high surface area, and electrochemical and mechanical stability. To improve the performance of DSSCs, many scientists have developed new counter electrodes made of platinum, carbon materials, transition metals, conductive polymers, and composites. This book converses the various aspects of materials for the fabrication of counter electrodes especially for the DSSCs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789814877381
Publisher:	Jenny Stanford Publishing
Publication date:	06/25/2021
Pages:	278
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Alagarsamy Pandikumar is a scientist at the Organic and Materials Electrochemistry Division of the CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute, Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, India. He obtained his PhD in chemistry (2014) from the Madurai Kamaraj University, India, and completed his postdoctoral fellowship (2014–2016) from the University of Malaya, Malaysia, under its High Impact Research grant. He then joined the Functional Materials Division of the CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute. His current research involves development of novel materials with graphene and graphitic carbon nitride, in combination with metals, metal oxides, polymers, and carbon nanotubes, for photocatalysis, photoelectrocatalysis, dye-sensitized solar cells, and electrochemical sensor applications.

Ramesh Mohan is a scientist at the CSIR-Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute, Pilani, India. He received his master’s degree in materials science (2007) as well as in engineering and polymer science and technology (2009) from Pondicherry University, India, and Anna University, India, respectively. He obtained his PhD in materials science and technology (2013) from the National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan. He was an INSPIRE Faculty-DST in the Functional Materials Division of the CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute from 2016 to 2020. His research interests include organic electronics, dye-sensitized solar cells, organic–inorganic hybrid materials, and supercapacitors.

Kandasamy Jothivnekatachalam is a professor and head of the Department of Chemistry, Anna University, BIT campus, Tiruchirappalli, India. He obtained his PhD in chemistry from the University of Madras, Chennai, India. His current research focuses on photocatalysis for energy and environmental applications and his other research interests are functional materials, photocatalysis, photoelectrochemistry, photoelectrocatalysis, and dye-sensitized solar cells.

Table of Contents

Preface xi

1 Functions of a Counter Electrode in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells C. R. Kalaiselvi T.S. Senthil S. Kalpana 1

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Counter Electrode and Its Role in DSSCs 3

1.3 Requirements of Counter Electrode 5

1.4 Limitations of Counter Electrode 6

1.5 Characterization of Counter Electrode 6

1.5.1 Electron Impedance Spectra and Nyquist Plot 6

1.5.2 Cyclic Voltammetry 8

1.6 Materials Used as Counter Electrode 9

1.6.1 Pt Electrode 9

1.6.2 Graphene Electrode 10

1.6.3 Carbon Nanotubes as a Counter Electrode 11

1.6.3.1 Preparation techniques 12

1.6.4 CNT-Based Composites 14

1.6.4.1 CNT-polymer composites 14

1.6.4.2 CNT-metal composites 14

1.6.4.3 CNT-graphene composites 15

1.7 Conclusion 16

2 Trends in Metal Oxides Based Counter Electrode in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Rajkumar C. A. Arulraj 21

2.1 Introduction 22

2.2 Role of the Counter Electrode in DSSCs 24

2.3 Basic Function and Optimal Qualities of CE 24

2.4 Metal Oxides and Their Necessity Towards CE 25

2.5 Preparation of Metal Oxides 27

2.5.1 Sol-Gel Method 27

2.5.2 Hydrothermal and Solvothermal Methods 27

2.5.3 Vapor Deposited Method 28

2.5.4 Thermal Decomposition Method 29

2.6 Metal Oxide Composites as Counter Electrode 29

2.7 Effects of Phase Structures/Bandgap/Morphology on Metal Oxides and Their Composite CEs 33

2.7.1 Nanoparticles 35

2.7.2 Nanorods 37

2.7.3 Nanowires 44

2.7.4 Nanofibers 44

2.7.5 Nanoflowers 45

2.7.6 Honeycomb-Like Structure and Nanotubes 46

2.7.7 3D Morphology-Based CE 50

2.7.8 Other Morphology-Based CEs 50

2.7.9 Effects of Oxygen Vacancy in CE 51

2.8 Summary 54

3 Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Configuration with Transition Metal Carbides as Counter Electrode J. Theerthagiri Sunitha Salla Seung Jun Lee Gilberto Maia J. Madhavan Myong Yong Choi 63

3.1 Introduction 64

3.2 Transition Metal Carbides as CEs for DSSCs 66

3.2.1 Tungsten Carbides 66

3.2.2 Molybdenum Carbides 68

3.2.3 Titanium Carbides 69

3.2.4 Iron Carbides 70

3.2.5 Vanadium Carbides 70

3.3 Conclusions 72

4 Recent Advances in Transition Metal Nitrides Counter Electrode Based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells V. Gayathh I. John Peter P. Nithiananthi Smagul Karazhanov C. Raja Mohan 75

4.1 Introduction 76

4.2 Vanadium Nitride (VN) 79

4.3 Molybdenum Nitride (MoN) 82

4.4 Titanium Nitride (TiN) 84

4.5 Nickel Nitride 86

4.6 Zinc Nitride 87

4.7 Tantalum Nitride 88

4.8 Conclusion 89

5 Potential Development of Transition Metal Sulphides Based Counter Electrode Platform for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells K. S. Rajni T. Raguram 97

5.1 Introduction 97

5.2 Binary Transition Sulfides 99

5.3 Ternary Transition Metal Sulfides 108

5.4 Quaternary Transition Metal Sulfides 114

5.5 Penternary Transition Metal Sulfides 120

5.6 Conclusion 122

6 Metal Chalcogenides as Counter Electrode Materials Arunachalam Arulraj U. Mehana Usmaniya M. Ramesh J. Anandha Raj G. Senguttuvan 129

6.1 Introduction 130

6.2 Role of Counter Electrodes 131

6.3 Chalcogenides 133

6.4 Sulphide-Based Electrode 135

6.5 Selenide-Based Electrode 142

6.5.1 Binary Selenides 142

6.5.2 Ternary/Quaternary/Penternary Selenides 147

6.6 Tellurium-Based Electrode 152

6.7 Future Scope and Challenges 155

6.8 Conclusion 155

7 Photovoltaics Performance of Carbon Nanotubes and Their Composites Based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells A. Dennyson Savariraj R. V. Mangalaraja 163

7.1 Introduction 164

7.2 Carbon Nanotubes 165

7.3 Synthesis of CNTs 167

7.3.1 Arc Discharge 167

7.3.2 Laser Ablation Method 169

7.3.3 Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) 172

7.4 Properties of CNTs 173

7.5 Carbon Nanotubes/Polymer Nanocomposites 174

7.5.1 Preparation of Carbon Nanotubes/Polymer Nanocomposites 175

7.5.1.1 Solution mixing 175

7.5.1.2 Melt processing 175

7.5.1.3 In situ polymerization 176

7.6 Carbon Nanotubes-Polymer Composites as Counter Electrodes for DSSC 176

7.6.1 CNT-Based Counter Electrodes 176

7.6.2 Carbon Nantotube/Polymer Composite-Based Counter Electrode 180

7.7 Conclusion 186

8 Fabrication of Carbon Nanofibers Based Composites for High Performance Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells E. Vivek 199

8.1 Introduction 200

8.2 Structure and Properties of CNF 201

8.3 Synthesis 202

8.3.1 Arc-Discharge Method 203

8.3.2 Chemical Vapor Deposition Technique 204

8.3.3 Electros pinning 206

8.4 Carbon Nanofibers for Counter Electrode 207

8.5 Composite Electrode 210

8.6 Summary 217

9 Quantum Dots as Emerging Counter Electrode Materials in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells A. Arivarasan 225

9.1 Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells 225

9.2 Counter Electrodes in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells 226

9.3 Working Mechanism of Counter Electrodes 227

9.4 Preparation of Counter Electrodes 229

9.5 Requirements of Counter Electrode in DSSCs 229

9.6 Quantum Dots 230

9.6.1 Quantum Confinement Effect 231

9.6.2 Energy Levels 232

9.6.3 Emission Stokes Shift 233

9.6.4 Fluorescence Quantum Yield 233

9.7 Classification of Nanocrystals 234

9.7.1 Alloy Quantum Dots 236

9.8 Synthesis of Quantum Dots 236

9.8.1 Physical Methods 237

9.8.2 Chemical Methods 237

9.8.3 Colloidal Synthesis 238

9.9 Properties of Quantum Dots 239

9.9.1 Crystal Shape-Dependent Thermodynamic Properties 239

9.9.2 Magnetic Properties 240

9.9.3 Mechanical Properties 240

9.9.4 Catalytic Properties 240

9.10 Preparation of QD Sensitizing Layer 240

9.10.1 In Situ Methods 241

9.10.2 Ex Situ Methods 242

9.10.3 Other Methods 243

9.11 Quantum Dots as Counter Electrodes 243

9.11.1 Metal Chalcogenide-Based Counter Electrodes 244

9.11.2 Graphene Quantum Dots 247

9.11.3 Quantum Dots Sensitized Hybrid Counter Electrodes 249

9.12 Characterization of Counter Electrodes 250

9.13 Summary 251

Index 259