Electroless platinum counter electrodes with Pt-activated self-assembled monolayer on transparent conducting oxide

► ELD-Pt CEs were prepared using a Pt-activated self-assembled monolayer. ► The Pt loading for ELD-Pt CE was 14.82% of that of the sputtered-Pt CE. ► The DSSC with the ELD-Pt CE exhibited a good cell efficiency of 7.65%.