Modification of Flexible Electrodes for P-Type (Nickel Oxide) Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Performance Based on the Cellulose Nanofiber Film
Habtamu Fekadu Etefa, Vinod Kumar, F.B. Dejene, Mulugeta Tesema Efa, Leta Tesfaye Jule
Abstract
High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide The preparation of flexible electrode, including working electrode (WE) and counter electrode (CE), for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) utilizing metal oxides using environmentally friendly sustainable TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCNFs) is reported in this work. A new type of flexible electrode for the DSSCs, which were made of cellulose nanofiber composites with nickel hydroxide [CNF/Ni(OH) 2 ] substrate films and cellulose nanofiber composites with polypyrrole (CNF/PPY). Nickel hydroxide, Ni(OH) 2, has been prepared hydrothermally in the presence of TOCNFs, [ [email protected] (OH) 2 ]. Similarly, the conductive polymer substrate has also been prepared from a composite consisting of TOCNF and PPY, [email protected] PPY film, by means of polymerization for the CE. Overall, the prepared electrodes both WE from CNF/Ni(OH) 2 substrates and CE from the [email protected] substrate film were revealed as the novelty of this work and which no one has introduced previously. Although NiO nanoparticles (NPs) coated on the Ni(OH) 2 /TOCNF electrode also produced a good power conversion efficiency, PCE (0.75%); nevertheless, the NiO NP treatment with carbon dots boosted the efficiency up to 1.3%.