Pt Nanourchins as Efficient and Robust Counter Electrode Materials for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

Abstract

This study reports on the synthesis of Pt nanourchins (PtNUs) on FTO glass surfaces and their application as an efficient and robust counter electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). PtNUs with sizes in the range of 100-300 nm are successfully synthesized on FTO surfaces via a simple room temperature chemical reduction of H2PtCl6 using formic acid. Note that the PtNUs have numerous Pt nanowires with 2 nm diameters and 12 nm lengths. The PtNU CE exhibits very low charge-transfer resistance for DSCs. The efficiency of DSCs fabricated with PtNU CEs is 9.39%, which is higher than that of devices assembled with Pt-sputtered CEs (8.51%).