Composite counter electrode based on nanoparticulate PbS and carbon black: towards quantum dot-sensitized solar cells with both high efficiency and stability

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2012 Nov;4(11):6162-8. doi: 10.1021/am301787q. Epub 2012 Oct 25.

Abstract

PbS/carbon black (CB) composite counter electrode (CE) has been fabricated by a low cost and low temperature processable method using the wet chemistry synthesized PbS nanoparticles. The nanosized PbS in the composite CE provides a large area of catalytic sites, and the chain-type CB framework acts as an excellent electrical tunnel for fast electron transport from an external circuit to highly catalytic PbS nanoparticles. The optimized PbS/CB composite CE shows a charge transfer resistance (R(CT)) as low as 10.28 Ω cm², which is an order of magnitude lower than the value obtained in the previous study on pure PbS CE. The CdS/CdSe quantum dot-sensitized solar cells with the PbS/CB composite CE achieve a photovoltaic conversion efficiency of 3.91% and no degradation of the efficiency over 1000 h under room conditions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Electric Power Supplies*
  • Electrodes*
  • Energy Transfer
  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Lead / chemistry*
  • Quantum Dots*
  • Selenium Compounds / chemistry*
  • Solar Energy*
  • Soot / chemistry*

Substances

  • Selenium Compounds
  • Soot
  • lead selenide
  • Lead