Polypyrrole-cobalt-carbon nanocomposites as efficient counter electrode materials for dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

In this work, we demonstrate a new kind of Pt-free counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Polypyrrole-cobalt-carbon (PPY-Co-C) nanocomposites, with the advantages of low cost and simple preparation, show favorable catalytic activity in promoting tri-iodide reduction. The DSC composed of the PPY-Co-C nanocomposite electrode exhibits an acceptable energy conversion efficiency of 6.01%, a considerable short-circuit photocurrent of 15.33 mA cm−2, and a low charge-transfer resistance of 1.5 Ω cm2. The overall performance of PPY-Co-C is superior to the carbon counterparts and comparable with the platinum reference, rendering them efficient and promising counter electrode materials for DSCs.