Laser-induced porous graphene from PEDOT:PSS films for dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

• 3D porous graphene was firstly fabricated from PEDOT:PSS by a laser-scribing method. • Sheet resistance and morphology of LIG can be easily tuned by changing laser power. • LIG shows enhanced photovoltaic performance as a counter electrode for DSSCs. For the emerging laser-induced graphene (LIG) technologies, the exploration of laser irradiation interactions with various polymers and their new applications remains challenging. Herein, we report a novel strategy for the fabrication of 3D porous graphene electrodes from the aqueous PEDOT:PSS dispersion by a 445-nm diode laser in ambient air. By adjusting the laser power, LIG films exhibit a sheet resistance as low as 50 Ω/sq and their morphologies can change from a carbonized surface to a hierarchical porous structure. The dye-sensitized solar cell with a LIG70 counter electrode achieved a power conversion efficiency of 3.66%, which is over four times that of the pristine PEDOT:PSS electrode (0.80%). This work demonstrates the great potential for the application of PEDOT:PSS-based LIG films in photovoltaic devices.