Effect of surface modification of multi-walled carbon nanotubes on the fabrication and performance of carbon nanotube based counter electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

A polymeric surface modifier for multi-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) was prepared through living radical polymerization technique and applied to CNT paste for the preparation of carbon based counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cell Poly(maleic anhydride-co-p-acetoxystyrene)-block-poly(p-acetoxystyrene) was first prepared through nitroxide mediated polymerization (NMP) technique. followed by introduction of pyrene units to the polymer backbone through imidization reaction Hydrolysis reaction was then performed to convert p-acetoxystyrene repeating units to p-hydroxystyrene repeating units, affording poly(maleic acid-co-p-hydroxystyrene)-block-poly(p-hydroxystyrene) The block copolymer was applied to the modification of CNT and a paste was prepared employing the modified CNT A counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cell was fabricated using the CNT paste The effect of surface modification of CNT on the processibility and performance of the counter electrode and dye-sensitized solar cells were investigated (C) 2009 Elsevier B V All rights reserved