Abstract
Polyaniline (PANI) conducting polymer and graphene are preferred counter electrode (CE) materials for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC). Graphene/PANI nanocomposite multilayer CE is created through the insertion of a PANI layer. It has been demonstrated as a platinum-free counter electrode for cost-efficient DSSCs. Here, graphene/PANI nanocomposite and PANI were synthesized by electro-polymerization from a solution containing aniline monomers and graphene. Graphene/PANI nanocomposite multilayer CE showed improved electrical conductivity, interface charge transfer rate, and catalytic activity on I3− reduction compared with the Pt CE. The high electro-catalytic ability of graphene/PANI nanocomposite multilayer CE was demonstrated by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program, through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning (2012R1A1A3010655).