High performance PANI-PSSNa doped counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

A promising yet straightforward approach has been demonstrated to prepare efficient and inexpensive counter electrodes (CEs) for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on polyaniline (PANI) doped with poly (sodium 4-styrenesulphonate) (PSSNa). The optimized concentration of the PANI in m-cresol is doped with PSSNa at different percent (5, 10, and 15%) and compared the device performance with standard platinum (Pt.) electrode. The effects of doping are examined by cyclic voltammetry (CV), Tafel plot, impedance spectroscopy, and Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The PANI-PSSNa CEs improved electrocatalytic activity that facilitated higher electron transfer, suppressed charge recombination, and enhanced effective surface area. As a result, at the optimal condition, the fabricated device shows an overall energy conversion efficiency of 7.15% ± 0.17. It is worth noting that the performance of DSSCs with PANI-PSSNa CEs demonstrates a 25.21% higher efficiency than PANI CE.