A composite poly(3,3-diethyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-thieno-(3,4-b)(1,4)-dioxepine) and Pt film as a counter electrode catalyst in dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract A composite poly(3,3-diethyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-thieno-[3,4-b][1,4]-dioxepine) and platinum (PProDOT-Et 2 /Pt) film was prepared for using as a counter electrode (CE) catalyst in a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Four composite films were prepared by electropolymerization of ProDOT-Et 2 on indium tin oxide (ITO) conducting glass, followed by Pt sputtering for 10, 30, 120, and 720 s. The Pt content in the composite film was verified by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The composite films possessed three-dimensional (3D) porous structures, as determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The DSSC with the composite film that was subject to 10 s of Pt deposition (PProDOT-Et 2 /Pt-10 s) exhibited the highest solar to electricity conversion efficiency ( η ) of 6.68%, while the cells with the bare polymer film (PProDOT-Et 2 ) and Pt that was sputtered for 720 s (s-Pt-720 s) demonstrated efficiencies of 4.76% and 6.43%, respectively. The cell photovoltaic parameters were substantiated through dark current, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analyses. Incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) curves were used to explain the cell photocurrent behaviors.