Enhanced efficiency of DSSC by lyophilized tin-doped molybdenum sulfide as counter electrode

The influence of lyophilization on the electrochemical properties of hydrothermally synthesized tin (Sn) doped molybdenum sulfide (MoS2) nanostructures are investigated thoroughly. The lyophilized tin doped MoS2 used as counter electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) showed high efficiency and better stability. Power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.14% is achieved using lyophilized 2.5% Sn-doped MoS2 as CE in DSSCs, which is much higher than devices made of CE comprising oven air annealed samples (5.74%). The major enhancement of PCE is due to the large surface area of Sn-doped lyophilized MoS2 nanostructures as well as the high electrocatalytic activity of MoS2 towards reduction reaction, which are observed from BET, CV and EIS measurements. Sequential CV scanning further showed the high electrochemical stability of the Sn-doped MoS2 nanostructures. This indicates the useful application of lyophilizer technique to produce various other metal sulfide nanostructures to increase the porosity and overall surface area of the materials for optimum device performance. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study demonstrates that lyophilization significantly influences the electrochemical properties of tin-doped molybdenum sulfide nanostructures, leading to higher efficiency and stability in dye-sensitized solar cells. The use of lyophilized samples as counter electrodes shows potential for improving device performance through increased surface area and electrocatalytic activity.