Cost-effective and efficient dye-sensitized solar cells with nickel cobalt sulfide counter electrodes

The co-existence of nickel and cobalt with different valences can generate more charge hopping and valence interchange, thus drive vast redox reaction. Hence, the ternary nickel cobalt sulfide nanoparticles were constructed facilely with the existence of glucose (NiCo2S4/C), working as counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cell. Through a series of electrochemical measurements, the NiCo2S4/C exhibited more excellent electro-conductivity and electrocatalytic activity than the pure NiCo2S4 and even conventional Pt. Notably, with the NiCo2S4/C CE, the power conversion efficiency reached 8.44%, surpassing that of the corresponding NiCo2S4 (7.57%) and traditional Pt CEs (8.19%).