A Novel Preparation of Nano-Copper Chalcogenide (Cu2S)-based Flexible Counter Electrode

Enli Wu,Fei Deng,Yan Xiong,Dan Li,Shufang Gao,Xuemin Yan,Jingsha Jin,Haolin Tang,Shaowen Liu

doi:10.1038/s41598-019-48809-7

Enli Wu, Fei Deng + Show 7 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-48809-7

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Abstract

Copper nanowires (CuNWs) are used to prepare flexible, transparent conducting substrates due to their low cost and ease of fabrication on a large area. A CuNW/polymer composite substrate was prepared and vulcanized to create a novel flexible nano-Cu2S/polymer composite substrate. The physical and photovoltaic properties of the substrate can be controlled by tuning the concentration of CuNW dispersion during the preparation of CuNWs and nano Cu2S films. The nano-Cu2S-based composite substrate was used as an effective flexible counter electrode of a quantum-dot-sensitized solar cell (QDSSC) and resulted in a maximum cell efficiency of 1.01%.

Highlights

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have a photoelectric conversion efficiency of over 12%, making them a potential candidate for next-generation solar cells[1,2]
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a nano Cu2S film was fabricated as described, and a flexible nano-Cu2S-based counter electrode on a polymer substrate was used in quantum-dot-sensitized solar cell (QDSSC)
For the substrates prepared with CuNW dispersion concentrations less than 5 mg/ml, the transmittance in the wavelength range of 350–800 nm is higher than 50%

Summary

Introduction

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have a photoelectric conversion efficiency of over 12%, making them a potential candidate for next-generation solar cells[1,2]. While DSSCs typically use Pt- or Au-coated conducting glass as the counter electrode, QDSSCs usually use a copper-chalcogenide-based counter electrode. This is because the sulfur-containing electrolyte absorbs preferentially and strongly on the Pt or Au surface, leading to surface passivation and decrease in the conductivity of electrodes[13]. The nanostructured copper-chalcogenide-based counter electrodes are usually fabricated by either synthesizing Cu2-xS and coating it on the conducting glass, or by assembling nano Cu2S arrays on the rigid substrate[16]. The novel composite substrate functioned well as the flexible counter electrode of a CdS/CdSe QD co-sensitized solar cell

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