A new type of counter electrode for dye sensitized solar cells based on solution processed SnO2 and activated carbon

A new type of nano-composite material is investigated for use as the counter electrode of a dye sensitized solar cell. The proposed material consists of SnO2 and activated carbon, which can be deposited using a cost-effective sol-gel technique. The effects of the activated carbon concentration on the structural and optoelectronic properties were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, UV-vis spectroscopy and four probe measurements. It was found that the addition of activated carbon reduces resistivity and optical transmittance, and suppresses fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) growth. The nanocomposite material was integrated into a dye sensitized solar cell and evaluated using cyclic voltammetry and J-V characteristics under solar light illumination, and demonstrated power conversion efficiency ~2.35%.