A new type of low-cost counter electrode catalyst based on platinum nanoparticles loaded onto silicon carbide (Pt/SiC) for dye-sensitized solar cells.

A Pt/SiC nanocomposite with ~10 wt% Pt loading was used as a counter electrode (CE) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs), it shows a high power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 7.07% (a DSC with a SiC CE has a PCE of 3.29%), reaching 98.5% of the level obtained using a Pt CE (7.18%). This work provides substantial support for developing low-cost Pt-loaded composite CEs for DSCs. Pt/SiC use is expected to reduce the dependence on the Pt in DSCs, while it can also be expected to be used in many chemical and electrochemical processes required to control the amount of Pt and prevent Pt nanoparticle aggregation.