Soft-Template Synthesized Ordered Mesoporous Carbon Counter Electrodes for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) with a high surface area (~1575 m2/g) and bimodal pores (2.5 nm and 6.1nm) was synthesized using a soft-template method employing triblock copolymer F127 as the structure directing agent and then applied as a low temperature processable counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells. The OMC counter electrode-based DSSC shows an energy conversion efficiency of 7.46%, whereas that of a Vulcan XC72 counter electrode is 4.30%. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis reveals decreased charge transfer resistance at the OMC counter electrode-electrolyte interface, thus improved fill factor and energy conversion efficiency.