Ferrocene-derivatized ordered mesoporous carbon as high performance counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells

Ferrocene-derivatized large pore size mesocellular carbon foam (Fe-MCF-C) has been synthesized using divinylbenzene as a carbon source and mesocellular silica foam as a hard template. Cyclic voltammetric studies demonstrate a relatively faster electron transfer rate of Fe-MCF-C in K3Fe(CN)6/1 M KNO3 solution, as compared with pristine mesocellular carbon foam (MCF-C). Such an enhanced electrochemical property is beneficial for improving the cathodic reduction of tri-iodide in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Under 1 sun illumination (100 mW cm−2, AM 1.5G), Fe-MCF-C counter electrode based DSSC shows an energy conversion efficiency of 7.89%, which is 12% higher than that of solar cell based on pristine MCF-C counter electrode.