FTO-free counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells using carbon nanosheets synthesised from a polymeric carbon source

Highly conductive carbon nanosheets (CNSs) are fabricated using a polymeric carbon source and subsequently applied as the counter electrodes (CNS-CEs) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The CNSs have a similar structure to multilayered graphene, and their high electrical conductivity and electrocatalytic activity enable them to have a dual-function as both CEs and charge supporting electrodes. CNSs form a unique CE material that functions successfully while being metal- and fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO)-free and allowing DSSCs to achieve ∼5% power conversion efficiency. The chemical structure, electrical properties, electrocatalytic activity, and work function of the CNS-CEs prepared under various conditions of carbonization are investigated, and their effects on the performance of the corresponding DSSCs are discussed. Carbonization temperature is shown to have influenced the size of graphitic domains and the presence of heteroatoms and functional groups in CNS-CEs. The change in the graphitic domain size has a marginal influence on the work function of the CNS-CEs and the overpotential for the reduction of the redox couples (I−/I3−). However, the electrical conductivity of CNS-CEs and the charge transfer resistance at CE/electrolyte interfaces in the DSSCs are considerably influenced by the carbonization condition. Our study shows that CNSs serve as efficient, FTO-free CE materials for DSSCs, and they are appropriate materials with which the effects of the chemical/physical properties of graphene-based materials on the electrode performance of various electrochemical devices may be studied.