Low-cost porous Cu2ZnSnSe4 film remarkably superior to noble Pt as counter electrode in quantum dot-sensitized solar cell system

Lost-cost counter electrodes (CEs) based on Cu2ZnSnS(Se)(4) nanoparticles have been successfully introduced to quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs). The investigation has demonstrated that the catalytic activity of Cu2ZnSnS(Se)(4) based CEs is sensitive to the composition and thermal annealing condition. The Cu2ZnSnSe4 CE with porous structure, fabricated by spray deposition method and sintered at 450 degrees C in Argon atmosphere, exhibits an excel power conversion efficiency of 4.35% under AM 1.5 solar (100 mW cm(-2)) irradiation in a QDSC, which is about 70% higher than that of device using the conventional thermally platinized conducting glass CEs. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.