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Hydrothermal synthesis of the composited WS2–W5O14–MWCNTs for high performance dye-sensitized solar cell counter electrodes

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Abstract

WS2 and W18O49/W5O14 (WS 2–W 18O 49/W 5O 14) powders were synthesized using a hydrothermal reaction of microsized WO3 particles in a HCl + Na2S·9·H2O solution. The resulting WS 2–W 18O 49/W 5O 14 powders were used as a catalyst in a counter electrode of a dye-sensitized solar cell with an efficiency of 3.37%. To enhance the DSSC’s performance, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was added to the aforementioned hydrothermal reaction producing WS 2–W 5O 14–MWCNTs composite, which can enhance an efficiency of up to 7.44%, comparable to that of Pt DSSCs (7.53%). This outstanding performance of the WS 2–W 5O 14–MWCNTs based DSSCs is attributed to high electrocatalytic activity and low charge-transfer resistance at the counter electrode and electrolyte interface at the WS 2–W 5O 14–MWCNTs electrode. This facile and cost-effective fabrication of the composited WS 2–W 5O 14–MWCNTs CE could lead to applications in commercial DSSC devices.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Thailand Research Fund, Srinakharinwirot University and Khon Kaen University (RSA5880035), by the Center of Excellence in Physics (ThEP), by the Integrated Nanotechnology Center, Khon Kaen University, by the National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC), NSTD, Ministry of Science and Technology, Thailand, through its program of Center of Excellence Network, and by the Higher Education Research Promotion and National Research University Project of Thailand, Office of the Higher Education Commission, through the Advanced Functional Materials Cluster of Khon Kaen University. V. H. would like to acknowledge the support from the Development and Promotion of Science and Technology Talents Project (DPST) and the Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Materials Science and Nanotechnology Program, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand

    Ladavan Keawphaisan, Viyada Harnchana & Vittaya Amornkitburung

  2. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand

    Viyada Harnchana & Vittaya Amornkitburung

  3. Nanotec-KKU Center of Excellence on Advanced Nanomaterials for Energy Production and Storage, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand

    Viyada Harnchana, Samuk Pimanpang & Vittaya Amornkitburung

  4. Intergrated Nanotechonology, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand

    Viyada Harnchana, Samuk Pimanpang & Vittaya Amornkitburung

  5. Thailand Center of Excellence in Physics, Commission on Higher Education, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand

    Viyada Harnchana, Samuk Pimanpang & Vittaya Amornkitburung

  6. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok, 10110, Thailand

    Samuk Pimanpang

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  1. Ladavan Keawphaisan
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  2. Viyada Harnchana
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  3. Samuk Pimanpang
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  4. Vittaya Amornkitburung
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Correspondence to Viyada Harnchana or Samuk Pimanpang.

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Keawphaisan, L., Harnchana, V., Pimanpang, S. et al. Hydrothermal synthesis of the composited WS2–W5O14–MWCNTs for high performance dye-sensitized solar cell counter electrodes. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 28, 18765–18772 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-017-7825-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-017-7825-2

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