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An alternative flexible electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

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Abstract

With comparable transparency, flexibility, but a better conductivity, metal-mesh based PEN film provides an alternative low-cost electrode material to the conventional ITO/PEN film for flexible solar cell system. In this article, counter electrodes (CEs) prepared by coating metal-mesh/PEN with a mixture of PEDOT:PSS and carbon black nanoparticle (200–400 nm) were utilized in flexible dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). A high efficiency of 5.5 % was achieved with the DSC based on the metal-mesh/PEN CE, rivaling that of the DSC based on ITO/PEN CE.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Australian Research Council for financial support. Dr X. L. Zhang greatly appreciates the University of New South Wales for providing a Vice-Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Fellow with financial support. The authors acknowledge use of facilities within the Monash Centre for Electron Microscopy (MCEM) and the Centre’s provision of scientific and technical assistance.

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Correspondence to Xiao Li Zhang or Yi-Bing Cheng.

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Huang, W., Zhang, X.L., Huang, F. et al. An alternative flexible electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells. J Nanopart Res 14, 838 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-012-0838-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-012-0838-0

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