Kantapa Yolthida, Dang Xuan Long, Ilhwan Ryu, Ghifari M. Alvien, Jongin Hong
In this research, we introduce a pioneering approach for enhancing the electrocatalytic performance of counter electrodes (CEs) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) by synthesizing Pt/CeOx hybrid nanocatalysts through a refined polyol reduction technique. This method facilitates the accurate production of Pt nanoparticles supported on ceria, leveraging their strong metal-oxide interactions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was employed to confirm the co-presence of both metallic and oxidized states of Pt, as well as the mixed valence states of ceria within these nanostructures. The electrocatalytic behavior of these nanocatalysts was rigorously evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), Tafel polarization analyses, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). We identified an optimal Pt/Ce ratio of 1:0.1, which significantly enhanced the kinetics of the iodine reduction reaction (IRR), a crucial factor for efficient DSSC operation. Photovoltaic testing under one-sun AM 1.5 G conditions demonstrated that DSSCs with the optimized Pt/CeOx CEs exhibited a 10 % increase in power conversion efficiency (PCE) comparted to control cells. This study highlights the effectiveness of Pt/CeOx hybrid nanocatalysts in improving bifacial DSSC performance, combining the catalytic strengths of platinum with the unique properties of ceria. © 2024 Elsevier Ltd
Department of Smart Cities, Chung-Ang University, 84 Heukseok-ro, Seoul, Dongjak-gu, 06974, South Korea; Department of Chemistry, Chung-Ang University, 84 Heukseok-ro, Seoul, Dongjak-gu, 06974, South Korea; Department of Chemistry, Kookmin University, 77 Jeongneung-ro, Seoul, Seongbuk-gu, 02707, South Korea; Department of Science, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, Jalan Terusan Ryacudu, Lampung, Lampung Selatan, 35365, Indonesia