CoS NWs/Au Hybridized Networks as Efficient Counter Electrodes for Flexible Sensitized Solar Cells

A newly designed counter electrode (CE) composed of a hybridized structure of Au networks and cobalt sulfide (CoS) nanowire (NW) arrays is presented for flexible dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) and quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). The sheet resistance of the Au networks electrode is approximate to 10 sq(-1) with a transmittance up to 90%. The CoS NWs/Au hybridized networks show excellent electrocatalytic activity and lower charge transfer resistance toward the reduction of both S-x(2-) ions and I-3(-) ions. The hybridized electrode exhibits remarkable mechanical strength and no obvious changes in morphology and sheet resistance even after 500 bending cycles; 3.13% and 4.73% efficiency are obtained by utilizing CoS/Au hybridized networks as CEs in TiO2 nanotube array (TNAR) based DSSCs and QDSSCs. This work provides a novel approach to fabricate flexible, transparent, conductive, and catalytically active electrodes for QDSSCs and DSSCs and pomotes the development of transparent percolation conductive films for photovoltaics.