UV Treatment of Low-Temperature Processed SnO2 Electron Transport Layers for Planar Perovskite Solar Cells.

We report a new method as UV treatment of low-temperature processed to obtain tin oxide (SnO2) electron transport layers (ETLs). The results show that the high quality of ETLs can be produced by controlling the thickness of the film while it is treated by UV. The thickness is dependent on the concentration of SnO2. Moreover, the conductivity and transmittance of the layer are dependent on the quality of the film. A planar perovskite solar cell is prepared based on this UV-treated film. The temperatures involved in the preparation process are less than 90 °C. An optimal power conversion efficiency of 14.36% is obtained at the concentration of SnO2 of 20%. This method of UV treatment SnO2 film at low temperature is suitable for the low-cost commercialized application.

Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Made from High Catalytic Ability of Polypyrrole@Platinum Counter Electrode.

Polypyrrole@platinum (PPy@Pt) composite film was successfully synthesized by using a one-step electrochemical method and served as counter electrode (CE) for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The PPy@Pt CE with one-dimensional structure exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity and superior charge transfer resistance for I(-)/I3 (-) electrolyte after being the cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tested. The photocurrent-photovoltage curves were further used to calculate the theoretical photoelectric performance parameters of the DSSCs. The DSSC based on the PPy@Pt CE achieved a remarkable power conversion efficiency of 7.35 %, higher about 19.9 % than that of conventional Pt CE (6.13 %). This strategy provides a new opportunity for fabricating low-cost and highly efficient DSSCs.

A highly efficient flexible dye-sensitized solar cell based on nickel sulfide/platinum/titanium counter electrode.

A composite film of nickel sulfide/platinum/titanium foil (NiS/Pt/Ti) with low cost and high electrocatalytic activity was synthesized by the use of an in situ electropolymerization route and proposed as a counter electrode (CE) catalyst for flexible dye-sensitized solar cells (FDSSCs). The FDSSC with the NiS/Pt/Ti CE exhibited a comparable power conversion efficiency of 7.20% to the FDSSC with the platinum/titanium (Pt/Ti) CE showing 6.07%. The surface morphology of the NiS/Pt/Ti CE with one-dimensional (1D) structure is characterized by using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The NiS/Pt/Ti CE also displayed multiple electrochemical functions of excellent conductivity, great electrocatalytic ability for iodine/triiodine, and low charge transfer resistance of 2.61 ± 0.02 Ω cm(2), which were characterized by using the cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and Tafel polarization plots. The photocurrent-photovoltage (J-V) character curves were further used to calculate the theoretical optical light performance parameters of the FDSSCs. It may be said that the NiS/Pt/Ti counter electrode is a promising catalytic material to replace the expensive platinum in FDSSCs.