Boosting the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells by employing Li-substituted NiO nanosheets as highly efficient electrocatalysts for reduction of triiodide.
{"title":"Boosting the performance of dye-sensitized solar cells by employing Li-substituted NiO nanosheets as highly efficient electrocatalysts for reduction of triiodide.","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ceramint.2024.07.387","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) exhibit considerable potential as a promising technology, particularly when addressing the challenge of replacing the costly Platinum (Pt) counter electrode (CE) with economically viable and chemically stable CE materials. This study examines the use of two-dimensional hexagonal-shaped nickel oxide nanosheets substituted with varying mol% of lithium (1, 3, and 5%) (Li (1-5%)-NiO NSs) as the counter electrode (CEs) for DSSCs. The facile hydrothermal method was employed for the preparation of NiO and Li (1-5 mol%)-NiO samples. The BET analysis of NiO and Li (1-5%)-NiO indicates that higher concentrations of Li<sup>1+</sup> ions in Ni<sup>2+</sup> ions sites lead to an increase in the overall surface area of NiO. This leads to an elevated number of exposed electrocatalytic active sites which resulted in enhancing the rate of reduction of <span><span style=\"\"></span><span data-mathml='<math xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\" />' role=\"presentation\" style=\"font-size: 90%; display: inline-block; position: relative;\" tabindex=\"0\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" height=\"0.24ex\" role=\"img\" style=\"vertical-align: -0.12ex;\" viewbox=\"0 -51.7 0 103.4\" width=\"0\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\"><g fill=\"currentColor\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"0\" transform=\"matrix(1 0 0 -1 0 0)\"></g></svg><span role=\"presentation\"><math xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\"></math></span></span><script type=\"math/mml\"><math></math></script></span> ions. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) result of 5 mol% of Li substituted NiO (5-LNO) shows outstanding electrocatalytic activity towards the redox reaction of <span><span style=\"\"></span><span data-mathml='<math xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\" />' role=\"presentation\" style=\"font-size: 90%; display: inline-block; position: relative;\" tabindex=\"0\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" height=\"0.24ex\" role=\"img\" style=\"vertical-align: -0.12ex;\" viewbox=\"0 -51.7 0 103.4\" width=\"0\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\"><g fill=\"currentColor\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"0\" transform=\"matrix(1 0 0 -1 0 0)\"></g></svg><span role=\"presentation\"><math xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\"></math></span></span><script type=\"math/mml\"><math></math></script></span> redox mediator among the as-prepared CEs. The DSSCs assembled with 5-LNO CE show an excellent power conversion efficiency (<em>η)</em> of 5.84% with short-circuit current (<span><span style=\"\"></span><span data-mathml='<math xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\" />' role=\"presentation\" style=\"font-size: 90%; display: inline-block; position: relative;\" tabindex=\"0\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" height=\"0.24ex\" role=\"img\" style=\"vertical-align: -0.12ex;\" viewbox=\"0 -51.7 0 103.4\" width=\"0\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\"><g fill=\"currentColor\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"0\" transform=\"matrix(1 0 0 -1 0 0)\"></g></svg><span role=\"presentation\"><math xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\"></math></span></span><script type=\"math/mml\"><math></math></script></span> of 18.76 mAcm<sup>-2</sup>, and open-circuit voltage (<span><span style=\"\"></span><span data-mathml='<math xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\" />' role=\"presentation\" style=\"font-size: 90%; display: inline-block; position: relative;\" tabindex=\"0\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" height=\"0.24ex\" role=\"img\" style=\"vertical-align: -0.12ex;\" viewbox=\"0 -51.7 0 103.4\" width=\"0\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\"><g fill=\"currentColor\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"0\" transform=\"matrix(1 0 0 -1 0 0)\"></g></svg><span role=\"presentation\"><math xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\"></math></span></span><script type=\"math/mml\"><math></math></script></span> of 0.80 V which is higher than Pt-based CE (<em>η</em> of 4.05% with <span><span style=\"\"></span><span data-mathml='<math xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\" />' role=\"presentation\" style=\"font-size: 90%; display: inline-block; position: relative;\" tabindex=\"0\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" height=\"0.24ex\" role=\"img\" style=\"vertical-align: -0.12ex;\" viewbox=\"0 -51.7 0 103.4\" width=\"0\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\"><g fill=\"currentColor\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"0\" transform=\"matrix(1 0 0 -1 0 0)\"></g></svg><span role=\"presentation\"><math xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\"></math></span></span><script type=\"math/mml\"><math></math></script></span> of 10.16 mAcm<sup>-2</sup>, and <span><span style=\"\"></span><span data-mathml='<math xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\" />' role=\"presentation\" style=\"font-size: 90%; display: inline-block; position: relative;\" tabindex=\"0\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" height=\"0.24ex\" role=\"img\" style=\"vertical-align: -0.12ex;\" viewbox=\"0 -51.7 0 103.4\" width=\"0\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\"><g fill=\"currentColor\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"0\" transform=\"matrix(1 0 0 -1 0 0)\"></g></svg><span role=\"presentation\"><math xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML\"></math></span></span><script type=\"math/mml\"><math></math></script></span> of 0.69 V). The DSSCs fabricated with 5-LNO CE exhibit excellent photovoltaic performance because of their high active surface area and enhanced electrical conductivity. The 5-LNO CE has low cost, significant electrocatalytic activity, less toxicity, and superior device efficiency than NiO, other Li (1-3%)-NiO, and Pt CEs, making it a suitable candidate for Pt-free DSSCs application.</p>","PeriodicalId":267,"journal":{"name":"Ceramics International","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Ceramics International","FirstCategoryId":"88","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2024.07.387","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"MATERIALS SCIENCE, CERAMICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) exhibit considerable potential as a promising technology, particularly when addressing the challenge of replacing the costly Platinum (Pt) counter electrode (CE) with economically viable and chemically stable CE materials. This study examines the use of two-dimensional hexagonal-shaped nickel oxide nanosheets substituted with varying mol% of lithium (1, 3, and 5%) (Li (1-5%)-NiO NSs) as the counter electrode (CEs) for DSSCs. The facile hydrothermal method was employed for the preparation of NiO and Li (1-5 mol%)-NiO samples. The BET analysis of NiO and Li (1-5%)-NiO indicates that higher concentrations of Li1+ ions in Ni2+ ions sites lead to an increase in the overall surface area of NiO. This leads to an elevated number of exposed electrocatalytic active sites which resulted in enhancing the rate of reduction of ions. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) result of 5 mol% of Li substituted NiO (5-LNO) shows outstanding electrocatalytic activity towards the redox reaction of redox mediator among the as-prepared CEs. The DSSCs assembled with 5-LNO CE show an excellent power conversion efficiency (η) of 5.84% with short-circuit current ( of 18.76 mAcm-2, and open-circuit voltage ( of 0.80 V which is higher than Pt-based CE (η of 4.05% with of 10.16 mAcm-2, and of 0.69 V). The DSSCs fabricated with 5-LNO CE exhibit excellent photovoltaic performance because of their high active surface area and enhanced electrical conductivity. The 5-LNO CE has low cost, significant electrocatalytic activity, less toxicity, and superior device efficiency than NiO, other Li (1-3%)-NiO, and Pt CEs, making it a suitable candidate for Pt-free DSSCs application.
期刊介绍:
Ceramics International covers the science of advanced ceramic materials. The journal encourages contributions that demonstrate how an understanding of the basic chemical and physical phenomena may direct materials design and stimulate ideas for new or improved processing techniques, in order to obtain materials with desired structural features and properties.
Ceramics International covers oxide and non-oxide ceramics, functional glasses, glass ceramics, amorphous inorganic non-metallic materials (and their combinations with metal and organic materials), in the form of particulates, dense or porous bodies, thin/thick films and laminated, graded and composite structures. Process related topics such as ceramic-ceramic joints or joining ceramics with dissimilar materials, as well as surface finishing and conditioning are also covered. Besides traditional processing techniques, manufacturing routes of interest include innovative procedures benefiting from externally applied stresses, electromagnetic fields and energetic beams, as well as top-down and self-assembly nanotechnology approaches. In addition, the journal welcomes submissions on bio-inspired and bio-enabled materials designs, experimentally validated multi scale modelling and simulation for materials design, and the use of the most advanced chemical and physical characterization techniques of structure, properties and behaviour.
Technologically relevant low-dimensional systems are a particular focus of Ceramics International. These include 0, 1 and 2-D nanomaterials (also covering CNTs, graphene and related materials, and diamond-like carbons), their nanocomposites, as well as nano-hybrids and hierarchical multifunctional nanostructures that might integrate molecular, biological and electronic components.