Design and fabrication of BaSnO3/RGO as efficient Pt-free counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

BaSnO3 (BSO) could be becoming an important next-generation electron transport material in semiconductor technology due to its abnormal electrical properties even at room temperature. In this study, the reduced graphene oxide (RGO) in the BSO hybrid composites via the facile hydrothermal method reported new cost-effective platinum-free counter-electrodes (CEs) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The CEs were formed using the nanocomposites with the help of a pipette using a doctor blade technique. The efficiency of this nanocomposite revealed significant electrocatalytic properties upon falling the tri-iodide, possessing to synergistic effect of BSO nanoparticles and improved conductivity when BSO dispersed on RGO sheet. Therefore, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of prepared BSO/RGO nanocomposite CE attained of (8.8 +/- 0.01%) in DSSCs which is higher ha that of commercial Pt CE (6.28 +/- 0.04%) as a reference. BSO/RGO nanocomposite CEs give more stable catalytic activities for tri-iodide reduction than BSO and RGO CEs in the cyclic voltammetry (CV) analysis. Furthermore, to the subsistence of RGO, the nanocomposite acquired both higher stability and efficiency in the nanocomposite.