Synthesis of highly effective MnO2 coated carbon nanofibers composites as low cost counter electrode for efficient dye-sensitized solar cells

Highly effective MnO2-coated nanorod carbon nanofiber composites (MnO2/CNFs) were synthesized via electrospin method and a facile hydrothermal process. The CNFs were first synthesized via an electrospinning technique, and then MnO2 nanorods were applied to the CNFs based on the self-limiting reaction between CNFs and KMnO4. These prepared MnO2/CNFs composites were used as low-cost counter electrodes (CEs) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Results indicate that MnO2/CNFs-3 composites achieved the highest catalytic activity when MnO2-coated nanorod thickness on the CNF surface was ∼100 nm, exhibiting a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.86% when used by DSCs as counter electrodes. This power conversion efficiency exceeds that of Pt CE-based DSCs (8.27%).295