Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes with metal nanoparticles as counter electrode materials for dye-sensitized solar cells.

Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes decorated with Co and Ni metal nanoparticles were assessed as counter electrodes (CEs) of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). These composites show good electrocatalytic activity toward the counter electrode reduction reaction (I3(-)→ I(-)) in DSSCs. The resulting devices using these composites as CEs display photovoltaic performance as good as, or even better than Pt-based devices, indicating their potential for application in DSSCs.