Effects of organic additive during thermal reduction of platinum electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

We report on a method to prepare Pt electrodes with homogeneously dispersed Pt nanoparticles on fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates by adding an organic additive, hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), in the Pt precursor solution for thermal decomposition on the substrates. The Pt electrodes prepared with various amounts of added HPC are characterized electrochemically by cyclovoltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The addition of HPC increases the surface area of the Pt electrode and, hence, the electrocatalytic activity. The overall conversion efficiency of a dye-sensitized solar cell is increased by 12.7% bv using such a Pt electrode as a cathode. © 2010 The Japan Institute of Metals.