High Efficient Pt Counter Electrode Prepared by One-step Thermal Decomposition for Dye-sensitized Solar Cell postprint

Abstract: The Pt counter electrode was prepared on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass by spincoating and then thermal-decomposition of the precursor of H2PtCl6·6H2O. The influence of the number of spin coating-annealing treatment on the amount of deposited platinum and light transmittance for the electrode, as well as the photovoltaic performance of dye sensitized solar cells assembled with the counter electrode was investigated. It was found that the optimal power conversion efficiency of 6.78% was obtained for cells assembled with Pt/FTO counter electrode after five spin coating-annealing treatments, which was higher than that of the cell assembled with the traditional counter electrode prepared by magnetron sputtering technique. Thereafter, the required concentration and volume of H2PtCl6·6H2O precursor for the process could be further optimized in terms of the optimal number of spin coating-annealing and the amount of deposited platinum on the FTO glass counter electrode to ensure the best power conversion efficiency of dye sensitized solar cells. Furthermore, a novel Pt/FTO counter electrode was prepared by a one-step drop coating-annealing process, which exhibited high transmittance and low deposited platinum and then the power conversion efficiency could reach to 6.92% for cells assembled with such Pt/FTO counter electrode.