NiO as an Efficient Counter Electrode Catalyst for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

NiO is an important heterogeneous catalyst employed in chemical processes. However, it is a new topic to explore NiO as a counter electrode catalyst for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In this paper, NiO with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) was demonstrated an efficient DSSC counter electrode with a maximum power conversion efficiency of 7.58 %. Furthermore, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry measurements revealed that the excellent photovoltaic performance is due to the combination between the high catalytic activity of NiO and the superior electrical conductivity of PEDOT:PSS. The optimum weight ratio of NiO to PEDOT:PSS is 48.