Two carboxyethyltin functionalized polyoxometalates for assembly on carbon nanotubes as efficient counter electrode materials in dye-sensitized solar cells

Two novel open-chain carboxyethyltin decorated sandwich-type germanotungstates have been successfully synthesized. They could markedly increase the electrocatalytic activity of single-walled carbon nanotubes toward triiodide reduction when assembled into composite electrodes, which have shown a conversion efficiency of 6.32% that is comparable to that of Pt electrodes (6.29%) when used as counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells.