Robust polyaniline-graphene complex counter electrodes for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Polyaniline (PANi) and graphene are key materials in energy devices.
• Efficient charge transfer is crucial for optimizing solar cell performance.
• Developing cost-effective counter electrodes is essential for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize polyaniline-graphene (PANi-graphene) complexes for enhanced counter electrodes (CEs) in DSSCs.
• To investigate the effect of PANi-graphene complexes on charge transfer dynamics.
• To improve the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of DSSCs using these novel CEs.

Main Methods:

• PANi-graphene complexes synthesized via a reflux technique.
• Characterization using spectral analysis, morphology observation, and electrochemical tests.
• Fabrication and testing of DSSCs with PANi-graphene, PANi-only, and Platinum (Pt)-only CEs.

Main Results:

• PANi-graphene complexes exhibit enhanced electrical conduction and electrocatalysis due to covalent bonding between PANi and graphene.
• DSSCs with PANi-graphene CEs demonstrated significantly improved power conversion efficiency.
• A DSSC utilizing a PANi-8 wt% graphene CE achieved a PCE of 7.78%, outperforming PANi-only (6.24%) and Pt-only (6.52%) CEs.

Conclusions:

• The synthesized PANi-graphene complexes effectively accelerate charge transfer, leading to superior DSSC performance.
• PANi-graphene complexes represent a promising alternative to conventional counter electrodes like platinum.
• This study highlights the potential of nanostructured conductive polymer-graphene composites for advanced photovoltaic applications.