科研之友
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摘要
Axle-sleeve structured composite materials made with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and polyaniline (PANI) were prepared, characterized, and employed as cost-effective counter electrodes (CEs) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The composite was synthesized by co-polymerization of aniline with carboxylated MWCNTs by using ammonium persulfate in the acidic medium. Thin films of MWC-NTs/PANI were prepared via a spin coating technique followed by thermal treatment in N-2 atmosphere. The micro-structure of the composite was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) linked with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The coating layer of PANI on the MWCNTs and new-formed chemical bonds between MWCNTs and PANI was studied by UV-Vis absorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman and FT-IR spectroscopic means. The effect of the multiple-level porosity or the axle-sleeve structures in the composite of MWCNTs/PANI on the electro-catalytic activity was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) analysis. The DSSCs assembled with MWCNTs/PANI as CEs exhibit a comparable energy conversion efficiency (eta) of 7.21% as compared to that of a DSSC consisting of a screen-printed Pt CE (eta = 7.59%). These promising results propose a potential application of MWCNTs/PANI in cost-effective DSSCs.
