Hierarchically-Structured NiO Nanoplatelets as Mesoscale p-Type Photocathodes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

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• 作者：Cory J. Flynn ; EunBi E. Oh ; Shannon M. McCullough ; Robert W. Call ; Carrie L. Donley ; Rene Lopez ; James F. Cahoon
• 刊名：Journal of Physical Chemistry C
• 出版年：2014
• 出版时间：July 3, 2014
• 年：2014
• 卷：118
• 期：26
• 页码：14177-14184
• 全文大小：387K
• ISSN：1932-7455

文摘

A p-type metal oxide with high surface area and good charge carrier mobility is of paramount importance for development of tandem solar fuel and dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) devices. Here, we report the synthesis, hierarchical morphology, electrical properties, and DSSC performance of mesoscale p-type NiO platelets. This material, which exhibits lateral dimensions of 100 nm but thicknesses less than 10 nm, can be controllably functionalized with a high-density array of vertical pores 4鈥?, 5鈥?, or 7鈥?3 nm in diameter depending on exact synthetic conditions. Thin films of this porous but still quasi-two-dimensional material retain a high surface area and exhibit electrical mobilities more than 10-fold higher than comparable films of spherical particles with similar doping levels. These advantages lead to a modest, 20鈥?0% improvement in the performance of DSSC devices under simulated 1-sun illumination. The capability to rationally control morphology provides a route for continued development of NiO as a high-efficiency material for tandem solar energy devices.