Optically Transparent Gold Nanoparticles for DSSC Counter-Electrode: An Electrochemical Characterization

Jessica Barichello; Donatella Spadaro; Sara Gullace; Alessandro Sinopoli; Pietro Calandra; Alessia Irrera; Fabio Matteocci; Giuseppe Calogero; Stefano Caramori; Carlo Alberto Bignozzi

doi:10.3390/molecules27134178

Optically Transparent Gold Nanoparticles for DSSC Counter-Electrode: An Electrochemical Characterization

Jessica Barichello, Donatella Spadaro, Sara Gullace, Alessandro Sinopoli, Pietro Calandra, Alessia Irrera, Fabio Matteocci, Giuseppe Calogero^*, Stefano Caramori^*, Carlo Alberto Bignozzi

^*Corresponding author for this work

QEERI - Energy Center

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

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A gold nanoparticles transparent electrode was realized by chemical reduction. This work aims to compare the transparent gold nanoparticles electrode with a more commonly utilized gold-film-coated electrode in order to investigate its potential use as counter-electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). A series of DSSC devices, utilizing I-/I3- and Co(III)/(II) polypyridine redox mediators [Co(dtb)3](3+)/(2+); dtb = 4,4 ' ditert-butyl-2,2 '-bipyridine)], were evaluated. The investigation focused firstly on the structural characterization of the deposited gold layers and then on the electrochemical study. The novelty of the work is the realization of a gold nanoparticles CE that reached 80% of average visible transmittance. We finally examined the performance of the transparent gold nanoparticles CE in DSSC devices. A maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.56% was obtained with a commercial I-/I3--based electrolyte, while a maximum 3.1% of PCE was obtained with the homemade Co-based electrolyte.

Original language	English
Article number	4178
Number of pages	13
Journal	Molecules
Volume	27
Issue number	13
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27134178
Publication status	Published - 1 Jul 2022

Keywords

Cobalt electrolyte
Dye-sensitized solar cell
Gold electrode
Nanoparticle
Z907
transparent PV

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10.3390/molecules27134178

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title = "Optically Transparent Gold Nanoparticles for DSSC Counter-Electrode: An Electrochemical Characterization",

abstract = "A gold nanoparticles transparent electrode was realized by chemical reduction. This work aims to compare the transparent gold nanoparticles electrode with a more commonly utilized gold-film-coated electrode in order to investigate its potential use as counter-electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). A series of DSSC devices, utilizing I-/I3- and Co(III)/(II) polypyridine redox mediators [Co(dtb)3](3+)/(2+); dtb = 4,4 ' ditert-butyl-2,2 '-bipyridine)], were evaluated. The investigation focused firstly on the structural characterization of the deposited gold layers and then on the electrochemical study. The novelty of the work is the realization of a gold nanoparticles CE that reached 80% of average visible transmittance. We finally examined the performance of the transparent gold nanoparticles CE in DSSC devices. A maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.56% was obtained with a commercial I-/I3--based electrolyte, while a maximum 3.1% of PCE was obtained with the homemade Co-based electrolyte.",

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author = "Jessica Barichello and Donatella Spadaro and Sara Gullace and Alessandro Sinopoli and Pietro Calandra and Alessia Irrera and Fabio Matteocci and Giuseppe Calogero and Stefano Caramori and Bignozzi, {Carlo Alberto}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.",

year = "2022",

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doi = "10.3390/molecules27134178",

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T1 - Optically Transparent Gold Nanoparticles for DSSC Counter-Electrode

T2 - An Electrochemical Characterization

AU - Barichello, Jessica

AU - Spadaro, Donatella

AU - Gullace, Sara

AU - Sinopoli, Alessandro

AU - Calandra, Pietro

AU - Irrera, Alessia

AU - Matteocci, Fabio

AU - Calogero, Giuseppe

AU - Caramori, Stefano

AU - Bignozzi, Carlo Alberto

PY - 2022/7/1

Y1 - 2022/7/1

N2 - A gold nanoparticles transparent electrode was realized by chemical reduction. This work aims to compare the transparent gold nanoparticles electrode with a more commonly utilized gold-film-coated electrode in order to investigate its potential use as counter-electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). A series of DSSC devices, utilizing I-/I3- and Co(III)/(II) polypyridine redox mediators [Co(dtb)3](3+)/(2+); dtb = 4,4 ' ditert-butyl-2,2 '-bipyridine)], were evaluated. The investigation focused firstly on the structural characterization of the deposited gold layers and then on the electrochemical study. The novelty of the work is the realization of a gold nanoparticles CE that reached 80% of average visible transmittance. We finally examined the performance of the transparent gold nanoparticles CE in DSSC devices. A maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.56% was obtained with a commercial I-/I3--based electrolyte, while a maximum 3.1% of PCE was obtained with the homemade Co-based electrolyte.

AB - A gold nanoparticles transparent electrode was realized by chemical reduction. This work aims to compare the transparent gold nanoparticles electrode with a more commonly utilized gold-film-coated electrode in order to investigate its potential use as counter-electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). A series of DSSC devices, utilizing I-/I3- and Co(III)/(II) polypyridine redox mediators [Co(dtb)3](3+)/(2+); dtb = 4,4 ' ditert-butyl-2,2 '-bipyridine)], were evaluated. The investigation focused firstly on the structural characterization of the deposited gold layers and then on the electrochemical study. The novelty of the work is the realization of a gold nanoparticles CE that reached 80% of average visible transmittance. We finally examined the performance of the transparent gold nanoparticles CE in DSSC devices. A maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 4.56% was obtained with a commercial I-/I3--based electrolyte, while a maximum 3.1% of PCE was obtained with the homemade Co-based electrolyte.

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KW - Dye-sensitized solar cell

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Optically Transparent Gold Nanoparticles for DSSC Counter-Electrode: An Electrochemical Characterization

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