Enhanced photovoltaic performance using reduced graphene oxide assisted by triple-tail surfactant as an efficient and low-cost counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

• Published in: Optik
• Main Author: Suriani A.B.; Nurhafizah M.D.; Mohamed A.; Mamat M.H.; Malek M.F.; Ahmad M.K.; Pandikumar A.; Huang N.M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier GmbH 2017
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85017473201&doi=10.1016%2fj.ijleo.2017.04.025&partnerID=40&md5=726d8ee155bce11af1790783a4a01375
• ISSN: 304026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijleo.2017.04.025

In this work, 4-bis(neopentyloxy)-3-(neopentyloxycarbonyl)-1,4-dioxobutane-2-silphonate (TC14) surfactant assisted reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was used as a counter electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Field emission scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy observations revealed that the TC14-rGO film was well dispersed on fluorine-doped tin oxide surface. The TC14-rGO modified CE based DSSC showed a power conversion efficiency of 0.828%, a short current density (JSC) of 2.72 mA cm−2, an open circuit voltage (VOC) of 0.65 V, and a fill factor (FF) of 41.9 which were higher than those CE fabricated from commercially available SDS surfactant assisted rGO. Results revealed that TC14-rGO is a potential CE material to construct efficient DSSC for future solar cell applications. © 2017 Elsevier GmbH