Platinum-Free Cathode for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Using Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) Formed via Oxidative Molecular Layer Deposition

Kim, Do Han; Atanasov, Sarah E.; Lemaire, Paul; Lee, Kyoungmi; Parsons, Gregory N.

Platinum-Free Cathode for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Using Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) Formed via Oxidative Molecular Layer Deposition

2015

Kim, Do Han | Atanasov, Sarah E. | Lemaire, Paul | Lee, Kyoungmi | Parsons, Gregory N.

Thin ∼20 nm conformal poly(3,4-ehylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) films are incorporated in highly conductive mesoporous indium tin oxide (m-ITO) by oxidative molecular layer deposition (oMLD). These three-dimensional catalytic/conductive networks are successfully employed as Pt-free cathodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with open circuit voltage equivalent to Pt cathode devices. Thin and conformal PEDOT films on m-ITO by oMLD create high surface area and efficient electron transport paths to promote productive reduction reaction on the PEDOT film. Because of these two synergetic effects, PEDOT-coated m-ITO by oMLD shows power conversion efficiency, 7.18%, comparable to 7.26% of Pt, and higher than that of planar PEDOT coatings, which is 4.85%. Thus, PEDOT-coated m-ITO is an exceptional opportunity to compete with Pt catalysts for low-cost energy conversion devices.

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