Issue 22, 2021

Enhanced electrocatalytic performance in dye-sensitized solar cell via coupling CoSe2@N-doped carbon and carbon nanotubes

Abstract

The low conductivity and catalytic activity of counter electrode (CE) materials in the electrolyte of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) has resulted in unprecedented challenges, limiting their development. Herein, a highly efficient CE material was synthesized by uniformly distributing transition metal selenides in a metal–organic framework (MOF, denoted as CoSe2@NC), and then integrating carbon nanotubes, which were finally designed as integrated interconnected nanoreactors (CoSe2@NC-CNTs). Consequently, DSSC with three-dimensional (3D) reticular CoSe2@NC-CNT CE displayed a superior power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 9.25%, exceeding that of Pt CE (7.81%). This outstanding performance is attributed to: (1) the increased specific surface area, which promotes the absorption of the dye and electrolyte, (2) the metal-on-MOF hierarchical structure as a unique crystalline porous material, which optimizes the efficiency of the metal nanoparticles, (3) the doping of heteroatom (N), which provides more defect sites and enhances the catalytic activity, and (4) the porous walls of MOF and internal connected CNTs, which provide sufficient pathways for the fast diffusion of electrons and iodine ions. The present work not only strengthens the understanding of the coupling interaction between porous CoSe2@NC and CNTs, but also offers an extended strategy of structuring further well-defined metal-on-MOF hybrids.

Graphical abstract: Enhanced electrocatalytic performance in dye-sensitized solar cell via coupling CoSe2@N-doped carbon and carbon nanotubes

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
16 Mar 2021
Accepted
03 May 2021
First published
05 May 2021

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2021,9, 7046-7056

Enhanced electrocatalytic performance in dye-sensitized solar cell via coupling CoSe2@N-doped carbon and carbon nanotubes

W. Wang, Q. Cui, D. Sun, Q. Yang, J. Xu, W. Liao, X. Zuo, H. Tang, G. Li and S. Jin, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2021, 9, 7046 DOI: 10.1039/D1TC01205C

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