A novel and large area suitable water-based ink for the deposition of cobalt sulfide films for solar energy conversion with iodine-free electrolytes

Author(s)

Congiu, Mirko ^[1] ; Lanuti, Alessandro ^[2] ; di Carlo, Aldo ^[2] ; Graeff, Carlos F. O. ^{[3, 1]}

Affiliation

^[1] UNESP Univ Estadual Paulista, POSMAT Programa Posgrad Ciencia & Tecnol Mat, BR-17033360 Bauru, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Roma Tor Vergata, Dept Elect Engn, CHOSE Ctr Hybrid & Organ Solar, I-00133 Rome - Italy

^[3] UNESP, Fac Sci, Dept Phys, Bauru, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Solar Energy; v. 122, p. 87-96, DEC 2015.
• Web of Science Citations: 8

Abstract

A novel, cheap, reliable water based precursor ink has been used for the large scale production of amorphous cobalt sulfide (CoS) on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO). The method uses a metal-organic complex of Co(II) and thioglycolic acid (TGA), it is cheap and easy to prepare. The electrodes prepared using our method have been applied in the oxidation/reduction using different redox couples dissolved in liquid electrolytes containing: I-/I-3(-); ferrocene/ferrocenium; bipyridine {[}Co(bpy)(3)](2+/3+) complexes and sodium polysulfide. The composition, morphology and the efficiency of the CoS electrodes have been investigated. The CoS films show a good adherence to the substrate, good transparency and an excellent electrocatalytic efficiency with all of the different redox electrolytes. The electrodes have been used in DSSC devices using the organic dye D5 with efficiencies up to 6.8%. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/07396-7 - New Materials for Dye-sensitized Solar Cells
• Grantee: Mirko Congiu
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 13/25028-5 - Global evaluation and optimization of dye sensitized hybrid solar cells
• Grantee: Carlos Frederico de Oliveira Graeff
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - International
• FAPESP's process: 08/57872-1 - National Institute for Materials Science in Nanotechnology
• Grantee: Elson Longo da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants