Low temperature fabrication of flexible carbon counter electrode on ITO-PEN for dye-sensitized solar cells

A novel low temperature method was used to prepare the mesoporous carbon (MC) counter electrode (CE) on indium-doped tin oxide coated polyethylene naphthalate (ITO-PEN) for flexible dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The obtained flexible MC CEs with carbon loading of 280 μg cm−2 were characterized by SEM, XRD and electrochemical impedance. The light-to-electricity conversion efficiency of the DSSC fabricated with the prepared flexible MC CE was 86% of that of DSSC based on the decomposited Pt CE.