Rugeng Liu, Xiang Peng, Xu Han, Chun Hong Mak, Kuan-Chen Cheng, Shella Permatasari Santoso, Hsin-Hui Shen, Qingdong Ruan, Fahe Cao, Edward T. Yu, Paul K. Chu, Hsien-Yi Hsu
Carbon-based conductive materials have been recognized as promising alternatives to noble metals as the electrode in optoelectronic devices. Herein, by utilizing energetic plasma ion implantation, Ni-doped TiN nanowire (NWs) modified graphitic carbon nanofibers (CNF) are designed and prepared as the candidates of the platinum (Pt) counter electrode for low-cost hybrid perovskite-based liquid-junction photoelectrochemical solar cells (LPSCs). Notably, the photoelectrochemical (PEC) response of p-Rb0.05FA0.95PbI3 based-LPSCs equipped with the Ni/TiN/CNF counter electrode is almost identical to that with a typical Pt counter electrode. From electrochemical investigations, i.e., electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), we observe that the CNF-based materials show a similar redox activity compared with the Pt counter electrode, indicating low charge-transfer resistance (Rct) and large capacitance (C). The LPSCs, with a configuration of p-Rb0.05FA0.95PbI3/BQ (2 mM), BQ[rad]− (2 mM)/Ni/TiN/CNF-based counter electrode, exhibit an open-circuit photovoltage of 1.00 V and a short-circuit current density of 7.02 mA/cm2 under 100 mW/cm2 irradiation. The overall optical-to-electrical energy conversion efficiency is 5.06%. The PEC solar cell shows good stability for 5 h under irradiation. The CNF-based counter electrode enables potential applications, including but not limited to PEC solar devices, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), solar fuel devices and hydrogen evolution reaction. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.
School of Energy and Environment & Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China; Shenzhen Research Institute of City University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518057, China; Department of Physics & Department of Materials Science and Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Plasma Chemistry and Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, China; Graduate Institute of Food Science Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan; Institute of Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Optometry, Asia University, 500, Lioufeng Rd., Wufeng, Taichung, 41354, Taiwan; Chemical Engineering Department, Widya Mandala Surabaya Catholic University, East Java, Indonesia; Chemical Engineering Department, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, 3800, Victoria, Australia; School of Materials, Sun Yat-sen University, Guanzhou, 510006, China; Microelectronics Research Center, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, 78712, TX, United States