Directly grown of NiCo2S4 nanoparticles on a conducting substrate towards the high-performance counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cell: A combined theoretical and experimental study

Abstract Development of alternate counter electrode for the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) using simple and single method are the major focus of the research to resolve problems related to the platinum (Pt)-based counter electrode. In the present work, NiCo2S4 based counter electrode has been directly developed on the fluorine-doped tin oxide coated glass substrate (FTO) using one step and simple hydrothermal method. The prepared NiCo2S4@FTO electrode was characterized by the range of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques as well as further assembled in the DSSC device in order to evaluate the electrode performance. The NiCo2S4 counter electrode exhibited the 6.53% photovoltaic performance in the assembled DSSC which is almost similar to the benchmark Pt based counter electrode (6.88%) under similar experimental conditions. The excellent performance of the elected NiCo2S4@FTO electrode could be due to the high electrocatalytic activity towards the reduction of the I3− to I− and smaller size of the nanoparticle which provide high surface area and catalytic sites. We adapted a theoretical model based on electrical considerations to study the impact of physical parameter of DSSC cell on the – characteristic, performance and photovoltaic efficiency, using the experimental parameters. The model is reproducing perfectly the I–V curve and related DSSC characteristics.