Reactively sputtered nickel nitride as electrocatalytic counter electrode for dye- and quantum dot-sensitized solar cells

Jin Soo Kang; Min Ah Park; Jae Yup Kim; Sun Ha Park; Dong Young Chung; Seung Ho Yu; Jin Kim; Jongwoo Park; Jung Woo Choi; Kyung Jae Lee; Juwon Jeong; Min Jae Ko; Kwang Soon Ahn; Yung Eun Sung

doi:10.1038/srep10450

Reactively sputtered nickel nitride as electrocatalytic counter electrode for dye- and quantum dot-sensitized solar cells

Jin Soo Kang
, Min Ah Park
, Jae Yup Kim
, Sun Ha Park
, Dong Young Chung
, Seung Ho Yu
, Jin Kim
, Jongwoo Park
, Jung Woo Choi
, Kyung Jae Lee
, Juwon Jeong
, Min Jae Ko^*
, Kwang Soon Ahn
, Yung Eun Sung

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

79 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Nickel nitride electrodes were prepared by reactive sputtering of nickel under a N 2 atmosphere at room temperature for application in mesoscopic dye- or quantum dot- sensitized solar cells. This facile and reliable method led to the formation of a Ni 2 N film with a cauliflower-like nanostructure and tetrahedral crystal lattice. The prepared nickel nitride electrodes exhibited an excellent chemical stability toward both iodide and polysulfide redox electrolytes. Compared to conventional Pt electrodes, the nickel nitride electrodes showed an inferior electrocatalytic activity for the iodide redox electrolyte; however, it displayed a considerably superior electrocatalytic activity for the polysulfide redox electrolyte. As a result, compared to dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), with a conversion efficiency (η) = 7.62%, and CdSe-based quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs, η = 2.01%) employing Pt counter electrodes (CEs), the nickel nitride CEs exhibited a lower conversion efficiency (η = 3.75%) when applied to DSCs, but an enhanced conversion efficiency (η = 2.80%) when applied to CdSe-based QDSCs.

Original language	English
Article number	10450
Journal	Scientific reports
Volume	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/srep10450
Publication status	Published - 2015 May 21
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Y.-E.S. acknowledges financial support by Institute for Basic Science (IBS) in Republic of Korea (IBS-R006-G1). K.-S.A. thanks financial support by Priority Research Centers Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (2014R1A6A1031189). M.J.K. acknowledges funding support from the Global Frontier R&D Program on Center for Multiscale Energy System (2012M3A6A7054856) and 2014 University-Institute cooperation program funded by the National Research Foundation under the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning, Republic of Korea. This work was also supported by the KIST institutional programs.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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Soo Kang, J., Park, M. A., Kim, J. Y., Ha Park, S., Young Chung, D., Yu, S. H., Kim, J., Park, J., Choi, J. W., Jae Lee, K., Jeong, J., Jae Ko, M., Ahn, K. S., & Sung, Y. E. (2015). Reactively sputtered nickel nitride as electrocatalytic counter electrode for dye- and quantum dot-sensitized solar cells. Scientific reports, 5, Article 10450. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep10450

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title = "Reactively sputtered nickel nitride as electrocatalytic counter electrode for dye- and quantum dot-sensitized solar cells",

abstract = "Nickel nitride electrodes were prepared by reactive sputtering of nickel under a N 2 atmosphere at room temperature for application in mesoscopic dye- or quantum dot- sensitized solar cells. This facile and reliable method led to the formation of a Ni 2 N film with a cauliflower-like nanostructure and tetrahedral crystal lattice. The prepared nickel nitride electrodes exhibited an excellent chemical stability toward both iodide and polysulfide redox electrolytes. Compared to conventional Pt electrodes, the nickel nitride electrodes showed an inferior electrocatalytic activity for the iodide redox electrolyte; however, it displayed a considerably superior electrocatalytic activity for the polysulfide redox electrolyte. As a result, compared to dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), with a conversion efficiency (η) = 7.62\%, and CdSe-based quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs, η = 2.01\%) employing Pt counter electrodes (CEs), the nickel nitride CEs exhibited a lower conversion efficiency (η = 3.75\%) when applied to DSCs, but an enhanced conversion efficiency (η = 2.80\%) when applied to CdSe-based QDSCs.",

author = "\{Soo Kang\}, Jin and Park, \{Min Ah\} and Kim, \{Jae Yup\} and \{Ha Park\}, Sun and \{Young Chung\}, Dong and Yu, \{Seung Ho\} and Jin Kim and Jongwoo Park and Choi, \{Jung Woo\} and \{Jae Lee\}, Kyung and Juwon Jeong and \{Jae Ko\}, Min and Ahn, \{Kwang Soon\} and Sung, \{Yung Eun\}",

note = "Funding Information: Y.-E.S. acknowledges financial support by Institute for Basic Science (IBS) in Republic of Korea (IBS-R006-G1). K.-S.A. thanks financial support by Priority Research Centers Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (2014R1A6A1031189). M.J.K. acknowledges funding support from the Global Frontier R\&D Program on Center for Multiscale Energy System (2012M3A6A7054856) and 2014 University-Institute cooperation program funded by the National Research Foundation under the Ministry of Science, ICT \& Future Planning, Republic of Korea. This work was also supported by the KIST institutional programs.",

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T1 - Reactively sputtered nickel nitride as electrocatalytic counter electrode for dye- and quantum dot-sensitized solar cells

AU - Soo Kang, Jin

AU - Park, Min Ah

AU - Kim, Jae Yup

AU - Ha Park, Sun

AU - Young Chung, Dong

AU - Yu, Seung Ho

AU - Kim, Jin

AU - Park, Jongwoo

AU - Choi, Jung Woo

AU - Jae Lee, Kyung

AU - Jeong, Juwon

AU - Jae Ko, Min

AU - Ahn, Kwang Soon

AU - Sung, Yung Eun

N1 - Funding Information: Y.-E.S. acknowledges financial support by Institute for Basic Science (IBS) in Republic of Korea (IBS-R006-G1). K.-S.A. thanks financial support by Priority Research Centers Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (2014R1A6A1031189). M.J.K. acknowledges funding support from the Global Frontier R&D Program on Center for Multiscale Energy System (2012M3A6A7054856) and 2014 University-Institute cooperation program funded by the National Research Foundation under the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning, Republic of Korea. This work was also supported by the KIST institutional programs.

PY - 2015/5/21

Y1 - 2015/5/21

N2 - Nickel nitride electrodes were prepared by reactive sputtering of nickel under a N 2 atmosphere at room temperature for application in mesoscopic dye- or quantum dot- sensitized solar cells. This facile and reliable method led to the formation of a Ni 2 N film with a cauliflower-like nanostructure and tetrahedral crystal lattice. The prepared nickel nitride electrodes exhibited an excellent chemical stability toward both iodide and polysulfide redox electrolytes. Compared to conventional Pt electrodes, the nickel nitride electrodes showed an inferior electrocatalytic activity for the iodide redox electrolyte; however, it displayed a considerably superior electrocatalytic activity for the polysulfide redox electrolyte. As a result, compared to dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), with a conversion efficiency (η) = 7.62%, and CdSe-based quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs, η = 2.01%) employing Pt counter electrodes (CEs), the nickel nitride CEs exhibited a lower conversion efficiency (η = 3.75%) when applied to DSCs, but an enhanced conversion efficiency (η = 2.80%) when applied to CdSe-based QDSCs.

AB - Nickel nitride electrodes were prepared by reactive sputtering of nickel under a N 2 atmosphere at room temperature for application in mesoscopic dye- or quantum dot- sensitized solar cells. This facile and reliable method led to the formation of a Ni 2 N film with a cauliflower-like nanostructure and tetrahedral crystal lattice. The prepared nickel nitride electrodes exhibited an excellent chemical stability toward both iodide and polysulfide redox electrolytes. Compared to conventional Pt electrodes, the nickel nitride electrodes showed an inferior electrocatalytic activity for the iodide redox electrolyte; however, it displayed a considerably superior electrocatalytic activity for the polysulfide redox electrolyte. As a result, compared to dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), with a conversion efficiency (η) = 7.62%, and CdSe-based quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs, η = 2.01%) employing Pt counter electrodes (CEs), the nickel nitride CEs exhibited a lower conversion efficiency (η = 3.75%) when applied to DSCs, but an enhanced conversion efficiency (η = 2.80%) when applied to CdSe-based QDSCs.

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M3 - Article

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SN - 2045-2322

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JO - Scientific reports

JF - Scientific reports

M1 - 10450

ER -

Reactively sputtered nickel nitride as electrocatalytic counter electrode for dye- and quantum dot-sensitized solar cells

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