Co-Electrophoretic Deposition Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes/Pt Counter Electrodes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell

Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and platinum (Pt) were coated on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass by a direct current electrophoretic method, and were used as dye-sensitized solar cell counter electrodes. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) detected the deposition of carbon nanotubes on FTO-glass. The deposition of Pt nanoparticles on carbon nanotube surfaces was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Cell efficiencies of MWCNTs, Pt and MWCNTs/Pt dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were ~1.41, ~8.13, and ~8.90%, respectively. The improvement of the composited MWCNTs/Pt cell efficiency is due to the presence of both catalysts (MWCNTs and Pt) enhancing counter electrode catalytic activity as observed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and reducing charge-transfer resistance as observed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS).