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Synthesis of lignite-based Ni/C composite with low-medium temperature pyrolysis method as an efficient Pt-free counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

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Abstract

In order to obtain inexpensive Pt-free counter electrode materials for dye-sensitized solar cells and expand the application fields of low-rank coal, lignite-based Ni/C composite was prepared by low-medium temperature pyrolysis method using Huolinhe lignite as raw materials. The structure and chemical components of as-synthesized lignite-based Ni/C composite was characterized by XRD, FT-IR, TG, Raman, SEM, TEM, and XPS, and the electrocatalytic activity of lignite-based Ni/C composite counter electrode was investigated by cyclic voltammetric curve, electrochemical impedance spectrum, and Tafel polarization curve. It is found that the electrocatalytic activity of the lignite was improved after low-medium temperature pyrolysis and composited with Ni species to form lignite-based Ni/C composite, which helps to catalyze the reduction of electrolyte and thus improve the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the solar cells. The photoelectric conversion efficiency (η) of the dye-sensitized solar cells based on the lignite-based Ni/C composite counter electrode was 3.42% (Jsc = 11.49 mA cm−2, Voc = 0.75 V, FF = 0.40) significantly higher than that of the lignite counter electrode (η = 0.20%, Jsc = 3.16 mA cm−2, Voc = 0.72 V, FF = 0.09). This indicates that low-medium temperature pyrolysis and composition with Ni are an effective method to improve the photovoltaic performance of lignite-based counter electrode materials.

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The lignite-based Ni/C composite was synthesized and applied in counter electrode for DSSCs.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51974113), the Postdoctoral Foundation of Heilongjiang Province of China (LBH-Q19177), and the Graduate Student Innovation Research Foundation of Heilongjiang University of Science and Technology (YJSCX2022-203HKD).

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  1. College of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Heilongjiang University of Science and Technology, Harbin, 150022, People’s Republic of China

    Wei Mao, Liguo Wei, Lishuang Zhao, **aohu Xu, Jianmin Lin, Huiyi He, **ndan Zhang & Zihan Zhang

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  1. Wei Mao
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Contributions

WM: Most of the experiments and the clutching of the first draft. LW: Language embellishment of the first draft and analysis of experimental data. LZ: Revision of the first draft and layout of the paper. XX: Experimental data processing and image processing. JL: Preparation of materials and assembly of DSSCs. HH: Preparation of materials and assembly of DSSCs. XZ: Analysis of XRD test data and graphing. ZZ: Analysis of XRD test data and graphing.

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Correspondence to Liguo Wei.

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Mao, W., Wei, L., Zhao, L. et al. Synthesis of lignite-based Ni/C composite with low-medium temperature pyrolysis method as an efficient Pt-free counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells. J Appl Electrochem 53, 833–846 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-022-01822-7

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