The surfactants mediated electropolymerized poly(aniline) (PANI)-reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cell

In this work, poly(aniline) (PANI)–reduced graphene Oxide (rGO) low-cost nanocomposite used for counter electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) for the replacement of the high-cost platinum (Pt) CE. The nanocomposite CEs were prepared with three different types of structural determine agents (cationic, non-ionic and anionic namely CTAB, Triton-X100, SDS) in aqueous medium and characterized by HR-SEM & TEM, XRD pattern analysis, FT-IR and Raman spectral studies. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies were used to determine the PANI-rGO-anionic surfactant in lower charge transfer resistance compared with, PANI, rGO and other type surfactants used in the preparation of CEs. DSSC assembled with a N719 dye sensitized TiO2 photo-anode, Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), iodide/triiodide redox couple containing electrolyte and PANI-rGO-anionic surfactant CE showed a sunlight-into-electrical energy conversion efficiency of 7.60%, which is higher than that of DSSC fabricated with pure Pt (6.40%), PANI (4.81%), rGO (4.30%) and PANI-rGO-CTAB (6.26%) and PANI-rGO-Triton X 100 (5.72%). [Display omitted] •Three different types of surfactant assisted synthesis of PANI-rGO composite counter electrodes were prepared by the electrochemical polymerization method.•The positive charged Polyaniline containing NH + amino group attached to negatively charged species of reduced graphene oxide sheet covalently deposited.•HR-SEM & TEM images shown in the granular structure of pure PANI and sheet like structure of rGO.•PANI-rGO@SDS counter electrode exhibited better electrical conductivity compared with pure PANI, GO and CTAB, Triton X-100 assisted electropolymerized CEs.•PANI-rGO@SDS CE gives the higher power conversion efficiency of 7.60%.