One-pot hydrothermal in situ growth of In4SnS8@MoS2@CNTs as efficient Pt-free counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells

Developing a synthesis method for large-scale preparation of efficient and economical non noble metal counter electrode (CE) electrocatalytic materials with good catalytic ability and stability is an ideal choice for the commercialization of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In this paper, a novel micro-nanostructured composite of CE was prepared by fixing the In 4 SnS 8 and MoS 2 on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and using a one-step hydrothermal strategy. The devices based on the In 4 SnS 8 @MoS 2 @CNTs composite CE performs high power conversion efficiency of 8.72%, far more than that of the device with the control ones (7.57%). The In 4 SnS 8 @MoS 2 composite were homogeneously distributed on the CNTs surface to form a new In 4 SnS 8 @MoS 2 @CNTs composite network heterojunction . This distinctive porous structure can provide greater contact area and electronic transmission channel to ensure fast charge transport of electrolyte. The prefect electrochemical properties of the In 4 SnS 8 @MoS 2 @CNTs CE for the I − /I 3 − electrolyte also have been demonstrated by a series of electrochemical tests. As a result, it can be considered that the In 4 SnS 8 @MoS 2 @CNTs will replace the Pt CE and has broad application prospects in DSSCs.