High-surface-area microporous carbon as the efficient photocathode of dye-sensitized solar cells

This paper reports on the application of cornstalks-derived high-surface-area microporous carbon (MC) as the efficient photocathode of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The photocathode, which contains MC active material, Vulcan XC–72 carbon black conductive agent, and TiO₂ binder, was obtained by a doctor blade method. Electronic impedance spectroscopy (EIS) of the MC film uniformly coated on fluorine doped SnO₂ (FTO) glass displayed a low charge-transfer resistance of 1.32 Ω cm². Cyclic voltammetry (CV) analysis of the as-prepared MC film exhibited excellent catalytic activity for I₃^?/I^? redox reactions. The DSCs assembled with the MC film photocathode presented a short-circuit photocurrent density (J_sc) of 14.8 mA cm^?2, an open-circuit photovoltage (V_oc) of 798 mV, and a fill factor (FF) of 62.3%, corresponding to an overall conversion efficiency of 7.36% under AM 1.5 irradiation (100 mW cm^?2), which is comparable to that of DSCs with Pt photocathode obtained by conventional thermal decomposition.