Yaoming Xiao

A large-area light-weight dye-sensitized solar cell based on all titanium substrates with an efficiency of 6.69% outdoors.

Light-weight PEDOT-Pt/Ti mesh and Ti/TiO(2) foil electrodes are prepared. Owing to the PEDOT-Pt/Ti photocathodes high transparency, good electrocatalytic activity, and low resistance; the Ti/TiO(2) anodes large specific area and high conductivity, a light-weight backside illuminated large-area (100 cm(2) ) dye-sensitized solar cell achieves an energy conversion efficiency of 6.69% under an outdoors sunlight irradiation of 55 mW cm(-2) .

High performance platinum-free counter electrode of molybdenum sulfide–carbon used in dye-sensitized solar cells

A high porous molybdenum sulfide–carbon (MoS2–C) hybrid film was prepared by using an in situ hydrothermal route. The MoS2–C hybrid film served as a low-cost and high efficient platinum-free counter electrode for a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Tafel curve analysis indicate that the MoS2–C electrode possesses low charge transfer resistance on the electrolyte–electrode interface, high electrocatalytic activity and fast reaction kinetics for the reduction of triiodide to iodide at the counter electrode, which is due to large specific surface area and special structure and compositions of MoS2–C film. A DSSC with the novel MoS2–C counter electrode achieve a high power conversion efficiency of 7.69% under standard light illumination, which exceeds that of the DSSC with a Pt counter electrode (6.74%).

Pulse electrodeposition of CoS on MWCNT/Ti as a high performance counter electrode for a Pt-free dye-sensitized solar cell

Because of the large specific surface area and superior electrical conductivity of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and the high electrocatalytic activity of cobalt sulfide (CoS), CoS/MWCNT hybrid films are deposited onto Ti foil substrates by sequential electrophoresis and pulse potentiostatic electrodeposition. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy observes that the surface of the MWCNTs is wrapped with a nano-honeycomb CoS thin film of ∼55 nm in thickness. Cyclic voltammograms, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and Tafel polarization characterization indicate that the CoS/MWCNT/Ti counter electrode (CE) has better electrocatalytic activity for I3− reduction than Pt CE. Under full sunlight illumination (100 mW cm−2, AM 1.5 G), the dye-sensitized solar cell based on the CoS/MWCNT/Ti CE achieves a power conversion efficiency of 8.05%, which exceeds that of the device based on Pt/Ti CE (6.39%).

High performance of Pt-free dye-sensitized solar cells based on two-step electropolymerized polyaniline counter electrodes

A two-step cyclic voltammetry (CV) approach is employed in a quick and controllable electropolymerization of polyaniline (PANI) nanofibers with a short-branched structure onto fluorinated tin oxide (FTO) glass substrates as counter electrodes (CEs) for Pt-free dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In the two-step CV method, a small quantity of PANI as a function of the crystal nucleus in the crystal growth, is pre-electropolymerized under a suitably high potential for one cycle at the first-step, then subjected to the second-step for PANI electropolymerization at a low potential for a small number of scans. The well-controlled PANI nanofibers with high performance can be electropolymerized quickly using the two-step mode. The extensive CVs demonstrate the two-step PANI CE has superior electrocatalytic activity for the I3− reduction. Moreover, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy shows that the two-step PANI CE has a lower series resistance and charge-transfer resistance than the PANI CE prepared by conventional one-step CV electropolymerization. Therefore, the DSSC assembled with the two-step PANI CE exhibits an enhanced photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 6.21% (compared to 5.01% for the DSSC with the one-step PANI CE), up to ∼97% of the level of the DSSC using Pt CE. As the result, the two-step CV electropolymerized PANI CE can be considered as a promising alternative CE for Pt-free DSSCs.

A high performance Pt-free counter electrode of nickel sulfide/multi-wall carbon nanotube/titanium used in dye-sensitized solar cells

Multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were deposited on a titanium (Ti) foil substrate by using electrophoresis, then a nano-corallines nickel sulfide (NiS) was deposited on the MWCNTs by using a pulse potentiostatic method. The high performance NiS/MWCNT/Ti hybrid film was firstly used as a Pt-free counter electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The surface of MWCNTs was wrapped with a nano-corallines NiS thin film of ∼45 nm in thickness. Under full sunlight illumination (100 mW cm−2, AM 1.5 G), DSSCs with a NiS/MWCNT/Ti CE achieved an enhanced photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 7.90%, while DSSCs with a Pt/Ti CE obtained the efficiency of 6.36%. The characterization of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) indicated that nano-corallines NiS had high electrocatalytic activity for I3− reduction, MWCNTs had high specific surface area and low resistance, and the synergistic effect of NiS and MWCNTs endowed the superior features of the hybrid film. Therefore, the NiS/MWCNT/Ti CE can be used as a promising alternative CE in low-cost and large-scale DSSCs.

Dual functions of YF3:Eu3+ for improving photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cells

In order to enhance the photovoltaic performance of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), a novel design is demonstrated by introducing rare-earth compound europium ion doped yttrium fluoride (YF3:Eu3+) in TiO2 film in the DSSC. As a conversion luminescence medium, YF3:Eu3+ transfers ultraviolet light to visible light via down-conversion, and increases incident harvest and photocurrent of DSSC. As a p-type dopant, Eu3+ elevates the Fermi level of TiO2 film and thus heightens photovoltage of the DSSC. The conversion luminescence and p-type doping effect are demonstrated by photoluminescence spectra and Mott-Schottky plots. When the ratio of YF3:Eu3+/TiO2 in the doping layer is optimized as 5 wt.%, the light-to-electric energy conversion efficiency of the DSSC reaches 7.74%, which is increased by 32% compared to that of the DSSC without YF3:Eu3+ doping. Double functions of doped rare-earth compound provide a new route for enhancing the photovoltaic performance of solar cells.

Application of Y2O3:Er3+ Nanorods in Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

Y(2)O(3):Er(3+) nanorods are synthesized by means of a hydrothermal method and then introduced into a TiO(2) electrode in a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Y(2)O(3):Er(3+) improves infrared light harvest via up-conversion luminescence and increases the photocurrent of the DSSC. The rare earth ions improve the energy level of the TiO(2) electrode through a doping effect and thus increase the photovoltage. The light scattering is ameliorated by the one-dimensional nanorod structure. The DSSC containing Y(2)O(3):Er(3+) (5 wt%) in the doping layer achieves a light-to-electric energy conversion efficiency of 7.0%, which is an increase of 19.9% compared to the DSSC lacking of Y(2)O(3):Er(3+).

Glucose aided preparation of tungsten sulfide/multi-wall carbon nanotube hybrid and use as counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells.

The tungsten sulfide/multi-wall carbon nanotube (WS(2)/MWCNT) hybrid was prepared in the presence of glucose by the hydrothermal route. The hybrid materials were used as counter electrode in the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The results of cyclic voltammetry measurement and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy indicated that the glucose aided prepared (G-A) WS(2)/MWCNT electrode had low charge-transfer resistance (R(ct)) and high electrocatalytic activity for triiodide reduction. The excellent electrochemical properties for (G-A) WS(2)/MWCNT electrode is due to the synergistic effects of WS(2) and MWCNTs, as well as amorphous carbon introduced by glucose. The DSSC based on the G-A WS(2)/MWCNT counter electrode achieved a high power conversion efficiency of 7.36%, which is comparable with the performance of the DSSC using Pt counter electrode (7.54%).

Electrospun lead-doped titanium dioxide nanofibers and the in situ preparation of perovskite-sensitized photoanodes for use in high performance perovskite solar cells

Lead-doped TiO2 nanofibers (TNFs) are fabricated by using an electrospun method, followed by the in situ preparation of perovskite-sensitized photoanode for use in perovskite solar cells (PSC). The electrospun TNFs can provide direct pathways for the rapid collection and transmission of photogenerated electrons. The photoanode based on the in situ method shows not only excellent contacting between the TNF and perovskite, but also abundant perovskite filling in it. These can be conducive not only to the separation and transmission of the electron and hole, but also to the absorption and utilization of sunlight. Finally, a high performance PSC with the cell efficiency of 9.03% is obtained without any hole transporting materials.

An ultraviolet responsive hybrid solar cell based on titania/poly(3-hexylthiophene)

Here we present an ultraviolet responsive inorganic-organic hybrid solar cell based on titania/poly(3-hexylthiophene) (TiO2/P3HT) heterojuction. In this solar cell, TiO2 is an ultraviolet light absorber and electronic conductor, P3HT is a hole conductor, the light-to-electrical conversion is realized by the cooperation for these two components. Doping ionic salt in P3HT polymer can improve the photovoltaic performance of the solar cell. Under ultraviolet light irradiation with intensity of 100 mW·cm−2, the hybrid solar cell doped with 1.0 wt.% lithium iodide achieves an energy conversion efficiency of 1.28%, which is increased by 33.3% compared to that of the hybrid solar cell without lithium iodide doping. Our results open a novel sunlight irradiation field for solar energy utilization, demonstrate the feasibility of ultraviolet responsive solar cells, and provide a new route for enhancing the photovoltaic performance of solar cells.