Carbon transparent conductive electrode

Substrates DME = dropping mercury electrode FTO = fluorine-doped tin oxide G = graphite GC = glassy carbon GrC = graphic carbon ITO = indium tin oxide-coated glass SC = single crystals SS = stainless steel TCO = transparent conducting oxide VC = vitrious carbon. Miscellaneous ECALE = electrochemical atomic layer epitaxy ED = electrodeposition ML = monolayer RT = room temperature SMD = sequential monolayer deposition V = vacuum. 

Kay A (1996) Low cost photovoltaic modules based on dye sensitized nanocrystalline titanium dioxide and carbon powder. Solar Energy Mater Solar Cells 44 99-117 Wang X, Zhi L, Muellen K (2008) Transparent, conductive graphene electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells. Nano Lett 8 323-327... 

Figure 15.1 Schematic illustration of two types of photoelectrochemical cells. A dye-sensitized solar cell (left) a conventional electrochemical solar cell (right). (1) A dye-loaded porous wide gap semiconductor (2) transparent conducting grass, (3) an electrolyte containing a redox couple, (4) Pt or carbon counter electrode, (5) a sealing material, (6) back contact, (7) a semiconductor electrode (n-type). Photogeneration of electron has occurred at the gray zone.

The counter electrode is one of the key components in the DSSCs. The task of the counter electrode (CE) is the reduction of the redox couples used as a mediator in regenerating the sensitizer after electron injection. At present, several different kinds of CEs have been introduced, including platinized transparent CEs, carbon CEs, conductive polymer CEs, and novel compound CEs as carbides and nitrides. 

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