Synthesis of Flower-Like Graphene Doped Cobalt Oxide via Hydrothermal Method and Its Performance as Counter Electrode in Dye Sensitized Solar Cells Applications

Graphene doped cobalt oxide nanostructure was synthesized via hydrothermal method. Synthesized nanostructure was used as inexpensive counter electrode (CE) as an alternative for the expensive platinum (Pt) CE in dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Phase purity, crystallinity and morphology of the synthesized nanostructure was analyzed using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) respectively. Then, the series of electrochemical measurements cyclic voltammetry (CV), nyquist plot, bode plot and photo current density–voltage (J–V) were systematically investigated. Here the synthesized graphene doped cobalt nanostructured CE exhibited conversion efficiency (η) about 4.67% is comparable with the Pt CE of power conversion efficiency 4.25%. The obtained conversion efficiency, low cost and simple method and fabrication processes evident that the synthesized graphene doped Co nanostructure could be promising alternative for the expensive Pt CE.