A high performance dye-sensitized solar cell with a novel nanocomposite film of PtNP/MWCNT on the counter electrode

Abstract

An imide-functionalized material, poly(oxyethylene)-segmented polymer, was synthesized from the reaction of poly(oxyethylene)diamine of 2000 g mol−1Mw and 4,4′-oxydiphthalic anhydride and used to disperse hybrid nanomaterials of platinum nanoparticles and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (PtNP/MWCNT). The composite material was spin-coated into film and further prepared as the counter electrode (PtNP/MWCNT-CE) for a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The short-circuit current density (JSC) and power-conversion efficiency (η) of the DSSC with PtNP/MWCNT-CE were found to be 18.01 ± 0.91 mA cm−2 and 8.00 ± 0.23%, respectively, while the corresponding values were 14.62 ± 0.19 mA cm−2 and 6.92 ± 0.07% for a DSSC with a bare platinum counter electrode (Pt-CE). The presence and distribution of PtNP/MWCNT on the CE were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The attachment of PtNPs on MWCNTs was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Cyclic voltammetry (CV), incident-photo-to-current efficiency (IPCE) and electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) were correlated to explain the efficacy of this nanocomposite system.