Influences of textures in Pt counter electrode on characteristics of dye-sensitized solar cells

We report an effective and yet simple way to produce nanotextures in Pt counter electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) by simply depositing Pt thin films on convenient textured substrates, and investigate the influences of textures in Pt counter electrodes on characteristics and performances of DSSCs. Pt counter electrodes having varied textures were characterized for their morphological and electrochemical properties, and were subjected to device studies to establish the correlation between Pt textures and DSSC characteristics/performances. The results suggest that the highly textured Pt electrodes can effectively enhance active surface areas and the catalytic ability for I3- ions reduction and charge exchange at the Pt/electrolyte interface of a DSSC. As a result, the quantum efficiency, short-circuit current, and power conversion efficiency of the DSSC were enhanced by 9–10% with using the highly textured, large-roughness, and high-surface-area Pt counter electrodes.

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► An effective and yet simple way to produce nanotextures in Pt counter electrodes for DSSCs is reported.
► The influences of textures in Pt counter electrodes on characteristics and performances of DSSCs were investigated.
► Highly textured Pt electrodes can effectively enhance active surface areas and the catalytic ability for I3- ions reduction.
► Power conversion efficiency of the DSSC was enhanced by 9–10% with using the highly textured Pt counter electrodes.