Method of preparing a counter electrode for a dye-sensitized solar cell

Abstract

The following description relates to a method of low temperature sintering a catalyst layer that formed on one side of a counter electrode using a laser. It is possible to prepare a counter electrode for a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) based on a flexible substrate easily because the method can be applied to a conducting substrate made of plastic materials as well as a conducting glass substrate.

1 . A counter electrode comprising:
 a conductive substrate; and   a catalyst layer formed on one side of the substrate, and the catalyst layer is sintered with a laser.   
     
     
         2 . The counter electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive substrate is selected from the group consisting of a conductive glass substrate, a conductive polymer substrate, a plastic substrate including conductive materials, a metal substrate, and a plastic substrate including carbon compounds. 
     
     
         3 . The counter electrode of  claim 2 , wherein the conductive glass substrate is a glass substrate in which a transparent conductive materials or a conductive material is added. 
     
     
         4 . The counter electrode of  claim 2 , wherein the plastic substrate includes at least one selected from the group consisting of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), poly(ethylene naphthalate) (PEN), polycarbonate (PC), polypropylene (PP), polyimide (PI), triacetyl cellulose (TAC), polyethersulfone, cyclo olefin copolymer (COC), polyarylite, a material including an organically modified silicate, a copolymer thereof, and a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The counter electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the catalyst layer is formed from a platinum precursor solution including at least one selected from the group consisting of H 2 PtCl 6 , H 2 PtCl 4 , and [Pt(NH 3 ) 4 ]Cl 2 , or a solution further including carbon compounds in said platinum precursor solution. 
     
     
         6 . The counter electrode of  claim 5 , wherein the carbon material is at least one selected from the group consisting of an activated carbon, a graphite, a carbon nano-tube, a carbon black, a grapheme, and a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The counter electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the catalyst layer is formed by a method of spin-coating, spray-coating, or dropping. 
     
     
         8 . The counter electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the laser is a pulsed laser or a continuous laser. 
     
     
         9 . The counter electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the laser generates a beam having the wavelengths corresponding to UV-Visible absorption band of the catalyst layer. 
     
     
         10 . The counter electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the sintering is carried out by transferring the counter electrode horizontally after fixing the incident angle of the laser, or by using a laser scanner after fixing the counter electrode.