Nanostructured Transition Metal Compounds as Highly Efficient Electrocatalysts for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Abstract

Nowadays, the requirement of energy increases every year, however, the major energy resource is fossil fuel, a limiting source. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are a promising renewable energy source, which could be the major power supply for the future. Recently, the transition metal component has been demonstrated as potential material for counter electrode of platinum (Pt)-free DSSCs owing to their excellent electrocatalytic ability and their abundance on earth. Furthermore, the transition metal components exist different special nanostructures, which provide high surface area and various electron transport routs during electrocatalytic reaction. In this chapter, transition metal components with different nanostructures used for the application of electrocatalyst in DSSCs will be introduced; the performance of electrocatalyst between intrinsic heterogeneous rate constant and effective electrocatalytic surface area are also be clarified. Final, the advantages of the electrocatalyst with different dimensions (i.e., one to three dimension structures) used in DSSCs are also summarized in the conclusion.