Dang Sheng Su,*,†,‡ Siglinda Perathoner, and Gabriele Centi* †Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Science, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110006, China ‡Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, Faradayweg 4-6, 14195 Berlin, Germany Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettronica, Chimica ed Ingegneria Industriale, University of Messina and INSTM/CASPE (Laboratory of Catalysis for Sustainable Production and Energy), Viale Ferdinando Stagno, D’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy

Nanocarbons for the Development of Advanced Catalysts

Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) offers an efficient and easily implemented technology for future energy supply. Compared to conventional silicon solar cells, it provides comparable power conversion efficiency (PCE) at low material and manufacturing costs. DSSC materials such as titanium oxide (TiO 2 ) are inexpensive, abundant and innocuous to the environment. Since DSSC materials are less prone to contamination and processable at ambient temperature, a roll-to-roll process could be utilized to print DSSCs on the mass production line. DSSCs perform better under lower light intensities, which makes them an excellent choice for indoor applications. Due to the advancement of molecular engineering, colored and transparent thin films have been introduced to enhance the aesthetic values. Up to now, such benefits have attracted considerable research interests and commercialization effort. Here, this review examines advanced techniques and research trends of this promising technology from the perspective of device modeling, state-of-art techniques, and novel device structures.

Review on dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs): Advanced techniques and research trends

Metal oxides have been of great importance to the development of energy conversion and storage technologies including heterojunction solar cells, Li-ion batteries, and electrocatalysts/photocatalys...

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy of Metal Oxide Electrodes for Energy Applications

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films deposited by cathodic vacuum arc evaporation (CVAE) have attracted worldwide interest from research groups and industry since the beginning of the 1990s. Hydrogen-free amorphous carbon (a-C) coatings were first deposited by CVAE about two decades after the first description of hydrogenated a-C coatings (a-C:H) deposited by glow-discharge techniques. This paper highlights the development and broad potential of hard a-C coatings deposited by direct (DCVAE) and filtered (FCVAE) cathodic arc evaporation, including pulsed arc. DLC films offer a wide range of exceptional physical (optical, electrical), chemical (interaction with media), mechanical (hardness, elastic modulus), biomedical and tribological properties. Monolithic tetrahedrally-bonded hydrogen-free coatings (ta-C) provide the highest hardness, while various softer a-C coatings are also useful in some applications. Many film properties such as electrical conductivity and surface energy can be modified by alloying with elements such as H, N, Si, B, F, P and metals. Recent research and industrial solutions for generating DLC coatings by CVAE of carbon-based cathodes are described, and hybrid methods using metal cathodes and gas-phase sources are discussed. Coatings containing additional elements and having complex architectures are also discussed, and selected properties for various coating types are presented. The number of industrial applications of ta-C and a-C coatings continues to increase, mainly for tribological coatings to reduce wear and friction. Various applications of coatings deposited by CVAE are described, including data hard disks, engine parts, razor blades, valve seals, decorative coatings, cutting and forming tools, biomedical products and others.

60 years of DLC coatings: Historical highlights and technical review of cathodic arc processes to synthesize various DLC types, and their evolution for industrial applications

The carbon neutral process for energy conversion is of utmost importance, in this context photovoltaics, especially dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are a viable alternative. Few terawatts of carbon free renewable energy can be produced by DSSCs. However the judicious use of platinum group free metals may further enhance the limit of energy production by making it further cost effective. In this context a metal free sensitizer and electrocatalyst related to DSSCs are reviewed for their merits. The current state-of-the-art sensitizer as well as carbon based materials for its chemistry and photovoltaic characterization are discussed. The present article combines recent progress and its emerging behavior from our laboratories and from other groups working on this perennial topic.

Metal free sensitizer and catalyst for dye sensitized solar cells

Sulfur‐Doped Nickel Oxide Thin Film as an Alternative to Pt for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cell Counter Electrodes

Dark ambient degradation of Bisphenol A and Acid Orange 8 as organic pollutants by perovskite SrFeO3−δ metal oxide

Graphene-Pt⧹ITO counter electrode to significantly reduce Pt loading and enhance charge transfer for high performance dye-sensitized solar cell

Tailor and functionalize TiO2 compact layer by acid treatment for high performance dye-sensitized solar cell and its enhancement mechanism

Different types of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), pristine (p-), metallic (m-) and semiconducting (s-) are incorporated into TiO2 photoanodes to improve the dye-sensitized solar-cell (DSSC) performance and their effects on the device performance are further investigated Although all three types of SWCNTs are found to have comparable structural morphologies and a reduced charge transport resistivity for the photoanodes, only the semiconducting one was able to suppress charge-recombination events, resulting in even greater improvement of DSSC performances This is very likely to be ascribed to the higher energy barrier of s-SWCNTs compared to both m- and p-SWCNTs to block the back flowing of dye-injected electrons for I3− reduction in the charge recombination process

TiO2 Composing with Pristine, Metallic or Semiconducting Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes: Which Gives the Best Performance for a Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cell

Chee Mang Ng

Papers

Sulfur‐Doped Nickel Oxide Thin Film as an Alternative to Pt for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cell Counter Electrodes

Dark ambient degradation of Bisphenol A and Acid Orange 8 as organic pollutants by perovskite SrFeO3−δ metal oxide

Graphene-Pt⧹ITO counter electrode to significantly reduce Pt loading and enhance charge transfer for high performance dye-sensitized solar cell

Tailor and functionalize TiO2 compact layer by acid treatment for high performance dye-sensitized solar cell and its enhancement mechanism

TiO2 Composing with Pristine, Metallic or Semiconducting Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes: Which Gives the Best Performance for a Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cell