High dispersion Pt nanoparticles using mesoporous carbon support for enhancing conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells

Mesoporous carbon (MC) with surface area of 380 m(2)/g was prepared and employed as the carbon support of Pt catalyst for counter electrode of dye-sensitized solar cells. Pt/MC samples containing 1 wt% Pt were prepared by reducing chloroplatinic acid on MC using wet impregnation. It was found that Pt nanoparticles were uniform in size and highly dispersed on MC supports. The average size of Pt nanoparticles is about 3.4 nm. Pt/MC electrodes were fabricated by coating Pt/MC samples on fluorine-doped tin oxide glass. The overall conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells with Pt/MC counter electrode is 6.62%, which is higher than that of the cells with conventional Pt counter electrode in the same conditions. (C) 2010 Gui Qiang Wang. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.