Korean Journal of Materials Research (한국재료학회지)

Materials Research Society of Korea (한국재료학회)
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N-Doped ZnO Nanoparticle-Carbon Nanofiber Composites for Use as Low-Cost Counter Electrode in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

염료감응형 태양전지의 저비용 상대전극을 위한 N-doped ZnO 나노입자-탄소나노섬유 복합체

  • An, Ha-Rim (Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology) ;
  • Ahn, Hyo-Jin (Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology)
  • 안하림 (서울과학기술대학교 신소재공학과) ;
  • 안효진 (서울과학기술대학교 신소재공학과)
  • Received : 2014.08.05
  • Accepted : 2014.09.25
  • Published : 2014.10.27
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Abstract

Nitrogen-doped ZnO nanoparticle-carbon nanofiber composites were prepared using electrospinning. As the relative amounts of N-doped ZnO nanoparticles in the composites were controlled to levels of 3.4, 9.6, and 13.8 wt%, the morphological, structural, and chemical properties of the composites were characterized by means of field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). In particular, the carbon nanofiber composites containing 13.8 wt% N-doped ZnO nanoparticles exhibited superior catalytic properties, making them suitable for use as counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). This result can be attributed to the enhanced surface roughness of the composites, which offers sites for $I_3{^-}$ ion reductions and the formation of Zn3N2 phases that facilitate electron transfer. Therefore, DSSCs fabricated with 13.8 wt% N-doped ZnO nanoparticle-carbon nanofiber composites showed high current density ($16.3mA/cm^2$), high fill factor (57.8%), and excellent power-conversion efficiency (6.69%); at the same time, these DSSCs displayed power-conversion efficiency almost identical to that of DSSCs fabricated with a pure Pt counter electrode (6.57%).

Keywords

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