Abstract
Copper oxide (CuO) and CuO/graphene nanostructured thin films were used as counter electrodes (CEs) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). CuO and CuO/graphene pastes were prepared and coated on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrates using a doctor-blade coating method. The substrates were then sintered at 350 °C for 30 min to form CuO and CuO/graphene nanostructures. The material properties of the CuO and CuO/graphene CEs were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, energy-dispersive spectrometer, thermogravimetric analysis instrument, X-ray diffractometer, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectrometer, ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer, and cyclic voltammetry instrument. The CuO and CuO/graphene CEs were used to fabricate DSSCs, and the device characteristics were analyzed using current density–voltage, incident photo-to-current conversion efficiency, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. The results showed that when CuO and CuO/graphene were used as the CEs, the device conversion efficiencies were 2.73% and 3.40%, respectively. CuO is a favorable replacement for expensive platinum (Pt) because it features a simple fabrication process and is inexpensive and abundant. Furthermore, graphene, which exhibits high carrier mobility, may be added to enhance the electrical and catalytic abilities of CuO/graphene CEs. This is the first study to examine the use of CuO and CuO/graphene for developing Pt-free CEs in DSSCs.
Highlights
Energy shortages and environmental pollution are two major problems for humans this century.Considerable research and development of alternative and renewable energies as substitutes for conventional energy sources has been conducted in recent years
The experimental results revealed that the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) device fabricated using the CuO counter electrodes (CEs) displayed an impedance value of approximately 600 Ω, whereas the DSSC device fabricated using the CuO/graphene CE displayed an impedance value of approximately 520 Ω. These findings reveal that the DSSC device fabricated using the CuO/graphene CE had a lower impedance value, and this is because this device featured superior
CuO nanostructure, which served as the DSSC CE
Summary
Energy shortages and environmental pollution are two major problems for humans this century. DSSCs feature the advantages of high efficiency, low cost, and simple fabrication, which make them a strong potential competitor for conventional silicon-based solar cells [3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12]. CuO is a secondary copper mineral, which is the most stable form of oxidized copper It has a monoclinic structure and many remarkable properties such as superconductivity, catalytic activity, optoelectronic properties, high stability, and antibacterial activity. Habibi et al fabricated DSSC working electrodes by depositing CuO–ZnO thin films using a hydrothermal process and combined cobalt electrolytes with Pt CEs; their device demonstrated an efficiency of 0.01%–0.03%, which, inadequate, showed considerable potential for improvement [29]. The electrode properties of CuO and CuO/graphene CEs were comprehensively analyzed, and the effects of CuO and CuO/graphene CEs on the performance of DSSCs were investigated
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