Synthesis of W, Nb and Ta doped α-Mo2C and Their Application as Counter Electrode in Dye-sensitized Solar Cells

The nanowire-shaped α-MoO3 and various metal-doped (W, Nb and Ta) α-MoO3 was synthesized by hydrothermal route. The synthesized metal oxides were converted into corresponding carbides by carburization method using urea as carbon source. The synthesized carbides were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and the electrocatalytic activity for triiodide reduction was studied by cyclic voltammetry. The order of electrocatalytic activity of the synthesized materials are, W-α-Mo2C > α-Mo2C > Ta-α-Mo2C > Nb-α-Mo2C. The dye-sensitized solar cell fabricated with W-α-Mo2C counter electrode found to show the better power conversion efficiency (2.53± 0.02%) than pure α-Mo2C, Nb and Ta-doped α-Mo2C. This study indicates that the W-doped α-Mo2C is a potential electrocatalyst for the applications in cost-effective dye-sensitized solar cells.