Counter Electrode Catalysts in Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells – An Overview

Summary

This chapter presents an overview on the counter electrode (CE) catalysts in dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). It also presents the history and cell efficiency level of DSSCs. The chapter explores the fabrication techniques of a DSSC and a symmetrical dummy cell. It explains the operating principle of a DSSC. The chapter describes types and advances in CE catalysts in DSSCs. A typical DSSC is composed of a dye‐sensitized mesoscopic TiO₂ photoelectrode (PE), an iodide/triiodide redox couple electrolyte, and a platinized CE catalyst. The as‐assembled DSSCs were used in electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Six types of CE materials, such as Pt metal, metal and alloy, conducting polymers, carbon materials, transition metal compounds (TMCs), and hybrids, have been developed so far for DSSC systems. In general, typical fabrication techniques, for example, urea‐metal route, soft‐template route, ion exchange technique, and in situ technique, can be used to prepare the TMC catalytic materials.