Cu2S Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite for High-Efficiency Quantum Dot Solar Cells. Overcoming the Redox Limitations of S2-/Sn2-at the Counter Electrode

Emmy J. Radich; Ryan Dwyer; Prashant V. Kamat

doi:10.1021/jz201064k

Cu₂S Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite for High-Efficiency Quantum Dot Solar Cells. Overcoming the Redox Limitations of S₂^-/S_n^2-at the Counter Electrode

Emmy J. Radich, Ryan Dwyer, Prashant V. Kamat

Penn State Greater Allegheny

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

466 Scopus citations

Abstract

Polysulfide electrolyte that is employed as a redox electrolyte in quantum dot sensitized solar cells provides stability to the cadmium chalcogenide photoanode but introduces significant redox limitations at the counter electrode through undesirable surface reactions. By designing reduced graphene oxide (RGO)-Cu2S composite, we have now succeeded in shuttling electrons through the RGO sheets and polysulfide-active Cu2S more efficiently than Pt electrode, improving the fill factor by μ75%. The composite material characterized and optimized at different compositions indicates a Cu/RGO mass ratio of 4 provides the best electrochemical performance. A sandwich CdSe quantum dot sensitized solar cell constructed using the optimized RGO-Cu2S composite counter electrode exhibited an unsurpassed power conversion efficiency of 4.4%.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	2453-2460
Number of pages	8
Journal	Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
Volume	2
Issue number	19
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/jz201064k
State	Published - Oct 6 2011

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General Materials Science
Physical and Theoretical Chemistry

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10.1021/jz201064k

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title = "Cu2S Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite for High-Efficiency Quantum Dot Solar Cells. Overcoming the Redox Limitations of S2-/Sn2-at the Counter Electrode",

abstract = "Polysulfide electrolyte that is employed as a redox electrolyte in quantum dot sensitized solar cells provides stability to the cadmium chalcogenide photoanode but introduces significant redox limitations at the counter electrode through undesirable surface reactions. By designing reduced graphene oxide (RGO)-Cu2S composite, we have now succeeded in shuttling electrons through the RGO sheets and polysulfide-active Cu2S more efficiently than Pt electrode, improving the fill factor by μ75%. The composite material characterized and optimized at different compositions indicates a Cu/RGO mass ratio of 4 provides the best electrochemical performance. A sandwich CdSe quantum dot sensitized solar cell constructed using the optimized RGO-Cu2S composite counter electrode exhibited an unsurpassed power conversion efficiency of 4.4%.",

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AU - Radich, Emmy J.

AU - Dwyer, Ryan

AU - Kamat, Prashant V.

PY - 2011/10/6

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N2 - Polysulfide electrolyte that is employed as a redox electrolyte in quantum dot sensitized solar cells provides stability to the cadmium chalcogenide photoanode but introduces significant redox limitations at the counter electrode through undesirable surface reactions. By designing reduced graphene oxide (RGO)-Cu2S composite, we have now succeeded in shuttling electrons through the RGO sheets and polysulfide-active Cu2S more efficiently than Pt electrode, improving the fill factor by μ75%. The composite material characterized and optimized at different compositions indicates a Cu/RGO mass ratio of 4 provides the best electrochemical performance. A sandwich CdSe quantum dot sensitized solar cell constructed using the optimized RGO-Cu2S composite counter electrode exhibited an unsurpassed power conversion efficiency of 4.4%.

AB - Polysulfide electrolyte that is employed as a redox electrolyte in quantum dot sensitized solar cells provides stability to the cadmium chalcogenide photoanode but introduces significant redox limitations at the counter electrode through undesirable surface reactions. By designing reduced graphene oxide (RGO)-Cu2S composite, we have now succeeded in shuttling electrons through the RGO sheets and polysulfide-active Cu2S more efficiently than Pt electrode, improving the fill factor by μ75%. The composite material characterized and optimized at different compositions indicates a Cu/RGO mass ratio of 4 provides the best electrochemical performance. A sandwich CdSe quantum dot sensitized solar cell constructed using the optimized RGO-Cu2S composite counter electrode exhibited an unsurpassed power conversion efficiency of 4.4%.

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Cu₂S Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite for High-Efficiency Quantum Dot Solar Cells. Overcoming the Redox Limitations of S₂^-/S_n^2-at the Counter Electrode

Abstract

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