Facile fabrication of hollow mesosphere of crystalline SnO2 nanoparticles and synthesis of SnO2@SWCNTs@Reduced Graphene Oxide nanocomposite as efficient Pt-Free counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

doi:10.1016/j.optmat.2018.04.059

Optical Materials

Volume 80, June 2018, Pages 271-278

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.optmat.2018.04.059 Get rights and content

Highlights

•
SnO₂@SWCNTs@Reduced Graphene Oxide based nanocomposite was synthesized by a hydrothermal method.
•
Synergistic effects of SnO₂ nanoparticles and SWCNTs with graphene sheet which enhanced the conductivity of the material.
•
PCE of SnO₂@SWCNTs@RGO nanohybrids as CEs attained (6.1%) in DSSCs, which was comparable to the value (6.2%) attained with pure Pt CE as a reference.
•
CV analysis shows that SnO₂@SWCNTs@RGO nonohybrids provide more stable catalytic activities for triiodide reduction than SnO₂, SWCNTs and SnO₂@SWCNTs nanocomposites CEs.

Abstract

In this research, SnO₂@SWCNTs@Reduced Graphene Oxide based nanocomposite was synthesized by a one step hydrothermal method and reported new cost effective platinum-free counter-electrodes (CEs) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The CEs were formed by using the nanocomposites with the help of a pipette using a doctor-blade technique. The efficiency of this nanocomposite revealed significant elctrocatalytic properties upon falling the triiodide, possessing to synergistic effect of SnO₂ nano particles and improved conductivity when SWCNTs dispersed on graphene sheet. Therefore, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of prepared SnO₂@SWCNTs@RGO nanocomposite CE attained of (6.1%) in DSSCs which is equivalent to the value (6.2%) which attained to the value (6.2%) with pure Pt CE as a reference. SnO₂@SWCNTs@RGO nanocomposite CEs give more stable catalytic activities for triiodide reduction than SnO₂ and SWCNTs CEs in the cyclic voltammetry (CV) analysis. Furthermore, to the subsistence of graphene oxide, the nanocomposite acquired both higher stability and efficiency in the nanocomposite.

Graphical abstract

Introduction

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is the new type of solar cells which is use to convert solar energy to electrical energy, now a days it is more popular due to easy fabrication and less production cost as compared to those of the conventional Silicon solar cells. In 1991, Physicist Gratzel and his coworkers invented the ruthenium sensitizer adsorbed on nanoporous TiO₂ semiconductor film based solar cells [1]. However, the charge separation capability of TiO₂ based DSSCs is concealed by its low electron mobility (<1cm²V⁻¹s⁻¹)> resulting in higher dark current [2]. Furthermore, TiO₂ shows a high photocatalytic effect and as a result sensitizer which is attached onto the nonporous TiO₂ network, level to degrade rapidly. Consequently, in order to overcome these problems regarding TiO₂-based DSSCs, other high band gap semiconductors such as ZnO, SnO₂, SnS₂ and CdS were investigated as possible substitute semiconductor materials. Among these semiconductor materials, SnO₂ shows relatively high electron mobility (∼250 cm²V⁻¹s⁻¹), high transport properties and high electron–hole separation ability [3,4]. Other than its attractive properties, SnO₂ nanoparticles can be synthesized using various techniques such as the solvothermal method, hydrothermal method and sol-gel. Here we mainly plan to fabricate DSSCs based on the as-prepared SnO₂ nanoparticles using hydrothermal method. During last decades, extensive research has led to the maturity of adaptable methods for altering carbon (CNTs) and to obtain derivatives with more attractive features [[5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12]]. To this end, CNTs decorated with metals nanoparticles (NPs), which reveal outstanding chemical activity due to their crystallographic surface structure and large active surface area, have been examined for potential applications in nanoelectronics and heterogeneous catalysis and chemical and bio chemical sensors [[13], [14], [15], [16], [17], [18], [19]]. Because nanoparticles are particularly different from their bulk materials with respect to their optical, electronic and catalytic properties originating from their small dimensions [20], one can vary and or enhance their intrinsic properties by controlling the shape and size as well as the distribution of metal nanoparticles on carbon nanotubes [21]. 1′D structure SWCNTs provides the new system in scientific research and gives the way to nano scale devices [22]. With surface modification we can changed the physical properties of SWCNTs with preferred organic, inorganic and biological species [[23], [24], [25], [26], [27], [28], [29], [30]]. SWCNTs have been coated with different metal particles such as Pb, Al, Fe, Ti, Au, Ni, Pd and Pt for the functionalization of SWCNTs [23,26,31,32]. SnO₂ having a wide energy band gap (E_g = 3.6 eV at 300 K), n-type semiconductor which plays an important role in the applications of transparent coatings, chemical sensors, conductive electrodes and heterojunction solar cells [[33], [34], [35], [36]].

Section snippets

Materials and methods

SWCNTs were purchased from Shanghai Mackin Biochemical Co., Ltd, according to the manufacturer's specification, SWCNTs with approximate diameter 20–25 nm, length: 20 μm. Supplementary chemicals were a critical grade and used without any purification as purchased.

Synthesis of tin dioxide (SnO₂)

Tin dioxide (SnO₂) nanoparticles were fabricated by a facile one-step hydrothermal technique. Briefly, 2 mmol (0.7012 g) of SnCl₄·5H₂O was dispersed in a mixture of ethanol (25 mL) and distilled water (5 mL) to form a translucent

Materials characterization

In this study, the performance and check the film morphology of the solar cell devices, the subsequent characteristic methods were performed. Crystallographic characterization of the SnO₂ nanoparticles and SnO₂ based films were ready by means of X-ray diffractometer (XRD; Rigaku/Max-3A, Japan) with the Cu Kα radiation with λ = 1.54056 Å. X-ray polycrystalline diffractometer was conducted using a Smart Lab 9 kW to study the chemical states. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM; JSM-6701 F, JEOL),

Compositional and morphology of SnO₂ based nanohybrids

XRD examined crystal structure of the as prepared SnO₂, SWCNTs, SnO₂@SWCNTs, SnO₂@SWCNTs@RGO nanohybrids and the analogous XRD patterns are shown in Fig. 1. In these results all the diffraction peaks can be clearly indexed to rutile tetragonal SnO₂ phase which are in accordance with the standard PDF card (JCPDS: 71–0652) with average lattice constant of a = 4.738 Å, b = 4.738 Å and c = 3.187 Å. In the synthesized product no peaks of other phases were detected, reveling high purity of

Conclusions

In the present research, we have fabricated new carbon based counter electrodes for DSSCs and exhibited the synergistic effect after the addition of SnO₂ nano particles and SWCNTs in these electrodes. Different types of counter electrodes for DSSCs: SnO₂, SWCNTs, RGO, SnO₂@SWCNTs and SnO₂@SWCNTs@RGO were successfully fabricated and results has been calculated on the basis of EIS, Tafel polarization curves, CV and J-V analysis which indicates the larger catalytic performance for reduction I₃⁻

Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2017YFA0403500-03), National Natural Science Foundation of China (11674001), Anhui Provincial Natural Science Foundation (1708085MA07, 1708085QE116), Science Foundation of Anhui Education (No. KJ2013A030), Doctoral research start-up funds projects of Anhui University (J01003206), Opening Project of State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure (SKL201607SIC).

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Facile fabrication of hollow mesosphere of crystalline SnO2 nanoparticles and synthesis of SnO2@SWCNTs@Reduced Graphene Oxide nanocomposite as efficient Pt-Free counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

Highlights

Abstract

Graphical abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Materials and methods

Synthesis of tin dioxide (SnO2)

Materials characterization

Compositional and morphology of SnO2 based nanohybrids

Conclusions

Acknowledgments

J. Photochem. Photobiol. Chem.

Biosens. Bioelectron.

Appl. Surf. Sci.

Carbon

Carbon

J. Solid State Chem.

Carbon

Chem. Phys. Lett.

Sens. Actuators, B

A low-cost, high-efficiency solar ¨cell based on dye sensitized colloidal TiO2 films

Nature

Physical properties of SnO2 materials

J. Electrochem. Soc.

SnO2 hollow nanospheres enclosed by single crystalline nanoparticles for highly efficient dyesensitized solar cells

CrystEngComm

Decorating carbon nanotubes with metal or semiconductor nanoparticles

J. Mater. Chem.

Layer-by- ¨layer assembly of carbon anotubes incorporated in lightaddressable potentiometric sensors

J. Phys. Chem. C

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes decorated with cobalt oxidenanoparticles

J. Nanomater.

Characterization of phosphorusdoped multiwalled carbon nanotubes

J. Appl. Phys.

Enhancement of the performance of a platinum nanocatalyst confined within carbon nanotubes for asymmetric hydrogenation

Angew. Chem.

Controlled assembly of Ag nanoparticles and carbon nanotube hybrid structures for biosensing

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ACS Nano

Silver nanoparticle-carbon nanotube hybrid films: preparation andelectrochemical sensing

Electrochim. Acta

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Nat. Commun.

Facile fabrication of hollow mesosphere of crystalline SnO₂ nanoparticles and synthesis of SnO₂@SWCNTs@Reduced Graphene Oxide nanocomposite as efficient Pt-Free counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

Synthesis of tin dioxide (SnO₂)

Compositional and morphology of SnO₂ based nanohybrids