posted on 2014-06-11, 00:00authored byAbdulla Hilmi, Tharallah A. Shoker, Tarek H. Ghaddar
A new
thiolate/disulfide organic-based electrolyte system composed of the
tetrabutylammonium salt of 2-methyl-5-trifluoromethyl-2H-[1,2,4]triazole-3-thiol (S–) and its oxidized
form 3,3′-dithiobis(2-methyl-5-trifluoromethyl-2H-[1,2,4]triazole) (DS) has been formulated and used in dye-sensitized
solar cells (DSSCs). The electrocatalytic activity of different counter
electrodes (CEs) has been evaluated by means of measuring J–V curves, cyclic voltammetry, Tafel plots, and
electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. A stable and low-temperature
CE based on acid-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-COOH)
was investigated with our S–/DS, I–/I3–, T–/T2, and CoII/III-based electrolyte systems. The proposed
CE showed superb electrocatalytic activity toward the regeneration
of the different electrolytes. In addition, good stability of solar
cell devices based on the reported electrolyte and CE was shown.