High‐performing dye‐sensitized solar cells based on reduced graphene oxide/PEDOT‐PSScounter electrodes with sulfuric acid post‐treatment

Abstract

ABSTRACTFour kinds of counter electrodes are prepared with polystyrene‐sulfonate doped poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT‐PSS) as basic material, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets as additives and H2SO4as treating agent. The cyclic voltammetry and Tafel polarization are measured to evaluate catalytic activity of these counter electrodes for/I−redox couple. It is found that H2SO4treated rGO and PEDOT‐PSS hybrid counter electrode (S/rGO/PEDOT‐PSS counter electrode) has the highest catalytic activity among these counter electrodes. Power conversion efficiency of the dye‐sensitized solar cell with S/rGO/PEDOT‐PSS counter electrode can attain to 7.065%, distinctly higher than that of the cells with the other three ones, owing to the great enhanced fill factor and short‐circuit current density. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci.2015,132, 42648.