Enhanced photovoltaic performance using reduced graphene oxide assisted by triple-tail surfactant as an efficient and low-cost counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

• Published in: Optik (Stuttgart) Vol. 139; pp. 291 - 298
• Main Authors: Suriani, A.B., Nurhafizah, M.D., Mohamed, A., Mamat, M.H., Malek, M.F., Ahmad, M.K., Pandikumar, A., Huang, N.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier GmbH 01.06.2017
• Subjects: Counter electrode; Dye-sensitized solar cell; Energy conversion; Nanomaterials; Reduced graphene oxide; Dye-sensitized solar cell; Nanomaterials; Reduced graphene oxide; Counter electrode; Energy conversion
• ISSN: 0030-4026; 1618-1336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijleo.2017.04.025

[Display omitted] •An enhanced counter electrode film was prepared by spraying with TC14-rGO dispersion.•A high surface area of rGO sheets was obtained with the aid of the triple-tail surfactant TC14.•The photovoltaic performance of DSSCs for TC14-rGO was improved.•The energy conversion of the TC14-rGO film for the counter electrode of DSSCs was higher than that of the SDS-rGO film. In this work, 4-bis(neopentyloxy)-3-(neopentyloxycarbonyl)-1,4-dioxobutane-2-silphonate (TC14) surfactant assisted reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was used as a counter electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Field emission scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy observations revealed that the TC14-rGO film was well dispersed on fluorine-doped tin oxide surface. The TC14-rGO modified CE based DSSC showed a power conversion efficiency of 0.828%, a short current density (JSC) of 2.72mAcm−2, an open circuit voltage (VOC) of 0.65V, and a fill factor (FF) of 41.9 which were higher than those CE fabricated from commercially available SDS surfactant assisted rGO. Results revealed that TC14-rGO is a potential CE material to construct efficient DSSC for future solar cell applications.