Vanadium Doped CoP on a Carbon Paper Composite as a Counter Electrode for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

We present facile two-step hydrothermal and chemical vapor deposition approaches for in situ growth of cobalt phosphide and vanadium phosphide (CoP/V2P) on carbon paper (CP). The as-prepared CoP/V2P/CP composite can be used as counter electrodes (CEs) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) without any post-treatment. It is found that the CoP/V2P/CP CE exhibits higher electrocatalytic activity than that of the Pt CE and the comforting charge-transfer resistance of 9.53 Omegacm(2) for the reduction of the triiodide electrolyte. Therefore, the DSSC with the CoP/V2P/CP CE generates a higher power conversion efficiency (9.47%) than that of the Pt CE (7.43%) under optimized conditions.

Automated summary

This study presents a facile method using two-step hydrothermal and chemical vapor deposition approaches for in situ growth of cobalt phosphide and vanadium phosphide composite on carbon paper. The as-prepared composite can be directly used as counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells, exhibiting higher electrocatalytic activity and lower charge-transfer resistance than the Pt counter electrode, resulting in a higher power conversion efficiency under optimized conditions.