Biomass-Derived Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Aerogel Counter Electrodes for Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

Dye sensitized solar cells have emerged as an attractive alternative to conventional solar cells due to their easy processing and the abundance and low cost of their materials. However, the counter electrode in these cells employs platinum which significantly impacts their cost. Here, we report biomass-derived, nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel as an effective alternative to conventional platinum-based counter electrodes for dye sensitized solar cells. A stable suspension of biomass-derived, nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel was prepared in DMF by using oleylamine as a binder. The nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel electrode was annealed at different temperatures, and its impact on photovoltaic performance is investigated. I-V measurements confirm that the annealing temperature substantially enhances the photovoltaic parameters of these devices; these enhancements are linked to the removal of the organic binders. Electrochemical impedance spectra of the counter electrodes confirm that removal of oleylamine in nitrogen-doped carbon aerogels reduces the series resistance of the resulting electrodes. The power conversion efficiency of the solar cells from optimized nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel exhibited comparable efficiency to that of a cell fabricated using a platinum-based counter electrode. This study demonstrates the potential of biomass-derived carbon aerogels as a cheap and sustainable replacement of platinum in DSSCs.

Recent Progress in Metal-Organic Frameworks and Their Derived Nanostructures for Energy and Environmental Applications

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), as a very promising category of porous materials, have attracted increasing interest from research communities due to their extremely high surface areas, diverse nanostructures, and unique properties. In recent years, there is a growing body of evidence to indicate that MOFs can function as ideal templates to prepare various nanostructured materials for energy and environmental cleaning applications. Recent progress in the design and synthesis of MOFs and MOF-derived nanomaterials for particular applications in lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, supercapacitors, dye-sensitized solar cells, and heavy-metal-ion detection and removal is reviewed herein. In addition, the remaining major challenges in the above fields are discussed and some perspectives for future research efforts in the development of MOFs are also provided.

Microwave assisted synthesis of MoS2/nitrogen-doped carbon shell–core microspheres for Pt-free dye-sensitized solar cells

Novel MoS₂/nitrogen-doped carbon shell–core microsphere counter electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells with a high efficiency of 6.2%.

Ultrathin Ni–Ni3Se2 nanosheets on graphene as a high-performance counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

Ultrathin nanostructures of metal chalcogenides have exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity due to the high percentage of surface atoms and many exposed interior atoms.