Graphene coated cotton fabric as textile structured counter electrode for DSSC

Abstract

Extensive research has been focused on reducing cost of current dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and make them flexible by using versatile materials that could make this energy conversion technique, more economical and increase their applications. In this work, we have demonstrated a low cost, lightweight, Pt and metal-free, flexible, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) coated cotton fabric as textile structured counter electrode (CE) in DSSC. This electrode was prepared with a simple and quick, dip and dry technique, commonly used in textile industry, to adsorb graphene oxide nanosheets (GONs) on cotton fabric which was then chemically reduced, using hydriodic acid to rGO for restoration of p-p conjugation and high electrical conductivity at the surface of cotton fabric. This novel natural fiber-based fabric electrode showed excellent flexibility under different bending angles aI(3)(-) nd judicious electrocatalytic activity towards reduction of triiodide (I-3(-)) with a commendable conversion efficiency of 2.52%. This electrode offers advantages of not only saving the cost of Pt itself but also reducing the energy required to activate Pt. Being flexible and light weight, this electrode can be used in variety of applications, including wearable types of DSSCs. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.