Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Multi-edged wrinkled graphene-like carbon-wrapped carbon nanotubes and highly conductive Pt-free counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Nanoparticle Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Multi-edged wrinkled graphene-like carbon-wrapped carbon nanotubes (GWC) is demonstrated as a Pt-free counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). GWC, with wrinkled graphene-like surface and one-dimensional tubular structure, exhibits significant electrocatalytic activity toward the reduction of triiodide due to the highly defective multi-edges and good conductivity. Raman spectroscopy studies suggest the presence of significantly higher defects in the GWC sample in comparison to multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and hydrogen exfoliated graphene (HEG). Four-probe measurement studies show better specific resistance (11.30 Ω cm), sheet resistance (4.52 × 103 Ωsq−1), and conductivity (8.84 Sm−1) of GWC film compared to HEG, but less compared to MWNTs. The impact of GWC properties on DSSC performance is studied by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The GWC counter electrode shows enhanced catalytic activity and power conversion efficiency (6.15 %) compared to that of MWNTs (5.12 %) and HEG (5.42 %). We also compare the catalytic activity and power conversion efficiency of GWC with Pt and find approaching that of Pt (6.68 %).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Scheme 1
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aravind SSJ, Eswaraiah V, Ramaprabhu S (2011) Facile synthesis of one dimensional graphene wrapped carbon nanotube composite by chemical vapour deposition. J Mater Chem 21:15179–15182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bahr JL, Tour JM (2002) Covalent chemistry of single-wall carbon nanotubes. J Mater Chem 12:1952–1958

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Banerjee S, Hemraj-Benny T, Wong SS (2005) Covalent surface chemistry of single-walled carbon nanotubes. Adv. Mater 17:17–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dresselhaus MS, Thomas IL (2001) Alternative energy technologies. Nature 414:332–337

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fan B, Mei X, Sun K, Ouyang J (2008) Conducting polymer/carbon nanotube composite as counter electrode of dye-sensitized solar cells. Appl Phys Lett 93:143103–143104

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grätzel M (2001) Photoelectrochemical cells. Nature 414:338–344

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hagfeldt A, Boschloo G, Sun LC, Kloo L, Pettersson H (2010) Dye-sensitized solar cells. Chem Rev 2010:6595–6663

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Han J, Kim H, Kim DY, Jo SM, Jang SY (2010) Water-soluble polyelectrolyte-grafted multi-walled carbon nanotube thin films for efficient counter electrode of dye-sensitized solar cells. ACS Nano 4:3503–3509

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsieh CT, Yang BH, Chen WY (2012) Accelerated-aging-test-for-carbon-composite-counter- electrodes-based-dye-sensitized-solar-cells. J. Photoenergy, Int. doi:10.1155/2012/709581

    Google Scholar 

  • Jang J (2006) Conducting polymer nanomaterials and their applications. Adv Polym Sci 199:189–260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaniyoor A, Baby TT, Ramaprabhu S (2010) Graphene synthesis via hydrogen induced low temperature exfoliation of graphite oxide. J Mater Chem 20:8467–8469

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kneton KR, McCreery RL (1992) Effects of redox system structure on electron-transfer kinetics at ordered graphite and glassy carbon electrodes. Anal Chem 64:2518–2524

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee WC, Ramasamy E, Lee DW, Song JS (2009) Efficient dye-sensitized solar cells with catalytic multiwall carbon nanotube counter electrodes. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 1:1145–1149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li D, Müller MB, Gilje S, Kaner RB, Wallace GG (2008) Processable aqueous dispersions of graphene nanosheets. Nat Nanotechnol 3:101–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mei X, Cho SJ, Fan B, Ouyang J (2012) High-performance dye-sensitized solar cells with gel-coated binder-free carbon nanotube films as counter electrode. Nanotechnology 21:395202(1)–395202(9)

    Google Scholar 

  • Murakami TN, Ito S, Wang Q, Nazeeruddin MK, Bessho T, Cesar I, Liska P, Humphry-Baker R, Comte P, Péchy P, Grätzel M (2006) Highly efficient dye-sensitized solar cells based on carbon black counter electrodes. J Electrochem Soc 153:A2255–A2261

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Regan B, Grätzel M (1991) A low-cost, high-efficiency solar cell based on dye- sensitized colloidal TiO2 films. Nature 353:737–740

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olsen E, Hagen G, Eric Lindquist S (2000) Dissolution of platinum in methoxy propionitrile containing LiI/I2. Sol Energy Mater Sol Cells 63:267–273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Papageorgiou N (2004) Counter-electrode function in nanocrystalline photoelectrochemical cell configurations. Coord Chem Rev 248:1421–1446

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramasamy E, Lee WJ, Lee DY, Song JS (2007) Nanocarbon counterelectrode for dye- sensitized solar cells. Appl Phys Lett 90:173103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reich S, Thomsen C (2004) Raman Spectroscopy of Graphite. Philos Trans R Soc Lond A 362:2271–2288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roy-Mayhew JD, Bozym DJ, Punckt C, Aksay IA (2010) Functionalized graphene as a catalytic counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells. ACS Nano 4:6203–6211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saito Y, Kitamura T, Wada Y, Yanagida S (2002) Application of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) to counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cells. Chem Lett 31:1060–1061

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sauvage F, Chen D, Comte P, Huang F, Heiniger LP, Cheng YB, Caruso RA, Graetzel M (2010) Dye-sensitized solar cells employing a single film of mesoporous TiO2 beads achieve power conversion efficiencies over 10 %. ACS Nano 4:4420–4425

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaijumon MM, Ramaprabhu S (2003) Synthesis of CNTs by pyrolysis of acetylene using alloy hydride materials as catalyst and their hydrogen adsorption studies. Chem Phys Lett 374:513–520

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tasis D, Tagmatarchis N, Bianca A, Prato M (2006) Chemistry of carbon nanotubes. Chem Rev 106:1105–1136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trancik JE, Barton SC, Hone J (2008) Transparent and catalytic carbon nanotube films. Nano Lett 8:982–987

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tuinstra F, Koenig JL (1970) Raman spectrum of graphite. J Chem Phys 53:1126–1130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vinayan BP, Nagar R, Raman V, Rajalakshmi N, Dhathathreyan KS, Ramaprabhu S (2012) Synthesis of graphene-multiwalled carbon nanotubes hybrid nanostructure by strengthened electrostatic interaction and its lithium ion battery application. J Mater Chem 22:9949–9956

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu MX, Ma TL (2012) Platinum-free catalysts as counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells. ChemSusChem 5:1343–1357

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xia J, Masaki N, Jiang K, Yanagida S (2007) The influence of doping ions on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) as a counter electrode of a dye-sensitized solar cell. J Mater Chem 17:2845–2850

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang M, Fang S, Zakhidov AA, Lee SB, Aliev AE, Williams CD, Atkinson KR, Baughman RH (2005) Strong, transparent, multifunctional, carbon nanotube sheets. Science 309:1215–1219

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Authors thank Department of Physics, IIT Madras, and DRDO, Government of India, for financial support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alternative Energy and Nanotechnology Laboratory, Department of Physics, Nano Functional Materials Technology Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036, India

    Mridula Baro & Sundara Ramaprabhu

Authors
  1. Mridula Baro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sundara Ramaprabhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sundara Ramaprabhu.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOC 1 745 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Baro, M., Ramaprabhu, S. Multi-edged wrinkled graphene-like carbon-wrapped carbon nanotubes and highly conductive Pt-free counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells. J Nanopart Res 16, 2711 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-014-2711-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-014-2711-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation