HOPV12 - Blogs

4 th Hybrid and Organic Photovoltaic Conference -Uppsala 2012 114
C13 - Organic conductive polymers as alternative electrocatalysts for Dye-sensitized
solar cells
Nikolaos Balis a , Theodoros Makris a , Vassilios Dracopoulos b , Panagiotis Lianos b
a, University of Patras, Engineering Science Dept., Patras, 26500, GR
b, FORTH/ICE-HT, Stadiou Str.Platani, 26504 Patras, GR
Nanoparticulate platinum is the uncontestable electrocatalyst employed with Dyesensitized
Solar Cells (DSSC). Due to the scarcity and the cost of this noble metal, a large effort
has been devoted to the search of alternative materials to functionalize the transfer of
electrons from the cathode electrode to the electrolyte. Conductive polymers, deposited in the
form of nanostructured thin films offer this possibility.
Reported works claim to have made organic electrocatalysts sometimes being even more
effective than Pt itself [1-2]. In reality, the matter of both structural and electrochemical
stability remains an open question when it comes to the materials usually employed to make a
DSSC. In the present work, this matter is critically examined by taking into account literature
data and our own experience [3,4] in an effort to settle the question to its proper dimensions.
References
[1] Winther-Jensen, B.; MacFarlane, D.R., “New generation, metal-free electrocatalysts for fuel cells, solar cells and
water splitting”. Energy Environ. Sci. 4, 2790-2798(2011)
[2] Trevisan, R.; Doebbelin, M.; Boix, P.P.; Barea, E.M.; Tena-Zaera, R.; Mora-Sero, I,; Bisquert, J., “PEDOT Nanotube
Arrays as High Performing Counter Electrodes for Dye Sensitized Solar Cells. Study of the Interactions Among
Electrolytes and Counter Electrodes”. Advanced Energy Materials 1,781-784(2011)
[3] Balis, N.; Makris, Th.; Dracopoulos, V.; Stergiopoulos, Th.; Lianos, P. “Quasi-Solid-State Dye-sensitized Solar Cells
made with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT)-functionalized counter electrodes”. J.Power Sources, 203,
302-307(2012)
[4] Makris, Th.; Dracopoulos, V.; Stergiopoulos, Th.; Lianos, P. “A quasi solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell made of
polypyrrole counter electrodes” Electrochimica Acta 56, 2004-2008(2011)
© SEFIN 2012