Graphene-based copper oxide thin film nanostructures as high-efficiency photocathode for p-type dye-sensitized solar cells

Bayrum Kilic; Sunay Turkdogan; Aykut Astam; Sümeyra Seniha Baran; Mansur Asgin; Hülya Cebeci; Deniz Urk

doi:10.1117/1.JPE.7.045502

12 October 2017 Graphene-based copper oxide thin film nanostructures as high-efficiency photocathode for p-type dye-sensitized solar cells

Bayrum Kilic, Sunay Turkdogan, Aykut Astam, Sümeyra Seniha Baran, Mansur Asgin, Hülya Cebeci, Deniz Urk

Author Affiliations +

Journal of Photonics for Energy, Vol. 7, Issue 4, 045502 (October 2017). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JPE.7.045502

Abstract

Graphene-based p-type dye-sensitized solar cells (p-DSSCs) have been proposed and fabricated using copper oxide urchin-like nanostructures (COUN) as photocathode with an FeS2 counter electrode (CE). COUN composed of Cu2O core sphere and CuO shell nanorods with overall diameters of 2 to 4 μm were grown by a simple hydrothermal method with self-assemble nucleation. It was figured out that the formation of copper oxide core/shell structures could be adjusted by an ammonia additive leading to pH change of the precursor solution. In addition to a photocathode, we also demonstrated FeS2 thin films as an efficient CE material alternative to the conventional Pt CEs in DSSCs. FeS2 nanostructures, with diameters of 50 to 80 nm, were synthesized by a similar hydrothermal approach. FeS2 nanostructures are demonstrated to be an outstanding CE material in p-DSSCs. We report graphene/COUN as photocathode and Pt/FeS2 as CE in p-DSSCs, and results show that the synergetic combination of electrodes in each side (increased interconnectivity between COUN and graphene layer, high surface area, and high catalytic activity of FeS2) increased the power conversion efficiency from 1.56% to 3.14%. The excellent performances of COUN and FeS2 thin film in working and CEs, respectively, make them unique choices among the various photocathode and CE materials studied.

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Bayrum Kilic, Sunay Turkdogan, Aykut Astam, Sümeyra Seniha Baran, Mansur Asgin, Hülya Cebeci, and Deniz Urk "Graphene-based copper oxide thin film nanostructures as high-efficiency photocathode for p-type dye-sensitized solar cells," Journal of Photonics for Energy 7(4), 045502 (12 October 2017). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JPE.7.045502

Received: 7 June 2017; Accepted: 21 September 2017; Published: 12 October 2017

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