High-performance dye-sensitized solar cells using Ag-doped CoS counter electrodes.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Cobalt sulfide (CoS) is a promising platinum-free counter electrode (CE) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs).
• Limitations of CoS include low electronic and ionic conductivity, hindering its performance.
• Silver (Ag) doping can potentially improve CoS properties for CE applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of Ag doping on CoS properties for DSSC counter electrodes.
• To optimize Ag doping concentration for enhanced photovoltaic performance.
• To evaluate the potential of Ag-doped CoS as a cost-effective alternative to platinum.

Main Methods:

• Facile one-step hydrothermal synthesis of Ag-doped CoS samples with varying doping concentrations.
• Fabrication of DSSCs using Ag-doped CoS as counter electrodes.
• Characterization of material morphology, particle size, and electrochemical properties.
• Performance evaluation of DSSCs based on power conversion efficiency (PCE).

Main Results:

• Ag doping significantly altered the morphology and particle size of CoS.
• The DSSC with 5% Ag-doped CoS CE achieved a PCE of 8.35%, outperforming the Pt CE (8.17%).
• Undoped CoS yielded a lower PCE of 6.93%, indicating the positive impact of Ag doping.

Conclusions:

• Ag doping effectively enhances the electrochemical activity and mixed conductivity of CoS.
• Ag-doped CoS demonstrates superior performance compared to undoped CoS and platinum in DSSCs.
• The facile preparation and low cost of Ag-doped CoS make it a highly promising material for large-scale DSSC production.