Electrochemically Deposited rGO Cu2S Composite as a High-Performance Counter Electrode for Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells
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Keywords:
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Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells (QDSSCs), Electrochemical Deposition, Hybrid Nanocomposite, rGO-Cu2S, Counter Electrode
Abstract
This study reports the development of reduced graphene oxide (rGO), copper sulfide (Cu2S), and their hybrid composite (rGO-Cu2S) as counter electrodes (CEs) for quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs). The electrodes were fabricated on FTO substrates via a simple, low-temperature electrochemical deposition method. Morphological analysis revealed flower-like Cu2S nanostructures and wrinkled rGO sheets, while the composite combined these features into a uniform hybrid layer. Electrochemical measurements demonstrated that the rGO-Cu2S CE exhibited superior catalytic activity and lower charge-transfer resistance compared to the individual materials. When integrated into QDSSCs, the rGO-Cu2S electrode achieved the highest power conversion efficiency (4.65%), outperforming Cu2S (3.77%) and rGO (3.24%). The synergistic interaction between conductive rGO networks and catalytically active Cu2S nanostructures underpin this improvement, highlighting rGO-Cu2S as a cost-effective and efficient alternative to noble-metal-based counter electrodes.
References
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Eryiğit, M., S. Mobtakeri, E. P. Gür, E. Temur, T. O. Özer, U. Demir, and E. Gür (2022). Efficient CdS Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Electrochemically Reduced Graphene Oxide (ERGO)/ZnO Nanowall Photoanodes and MoS2,WS2, CuS Cascaded Counter Electrodes. Solar Energy, 234; 348–359
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Jo, I. R., J. A. Rajesh, Y. H. Lee, J. H. Park, and K. S. Ahn (2020). Enhanced Electrocatalytic Activity and Electrochemical Stability of Cu2S/PbS Counter Electrode for Quantum-Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells. Applied Surface Science, 525; 146643
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Li, W., S. Zhang, Q. Chen, and Q. Zhong (2022). Highly-Dispersed CoS2/N-Doped Carbon Nanoparticles Anchored on RGO Skeleton as a Hierarchical Composite Counter Electrode for Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells. Chemical Engineering Journal, 430; 132732
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Malavekar, D. B., V. C. Lokhande, V. J. Mane, S. B. Kale, R. N. Bulakhe, U. M. Patil, and C. D. Lokhande (2020). Facile Synthesis of Layered Reduced Graphene Oxide–Copper Sulfide (rGO–CuS) Hybrid Electrode for All Solid-State Symmetric Supercapacitor. Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry, 24(11–12); 2963–2974
Mehmood, U. and A. Ul Haq Khan (2019). Spray Coated PbS Nano-Crystals as an Effective Counter-Electrode Material for Platinum Free Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs). Solar Energy, 193; 1–5
Meng, K., G. Chen, and K. R. Thampi (2015). Metal Chalcogenides as Counter Electrode Materials in Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells: A Perspective. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 3; 23074–23089
Monika, S., M. Mahalakshmi, N. Subha, M. S. Pandian, and P. Ramasamy (2022). Graphene Quantum Dots and CuS Microflowers Anchored rGO Composite Counter Electrode for the Enhanced Performance of Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells. Diamond and Related Materials, 125; 109033
My Hanh, N. T., H. T. Tung, N. T. K. Duyen, V. C. Nguyen, L. Van Hieu, N. T. Nguyen, and H. P. Dang (2024). Effect of Hydrothermal Time on Catalyst Activity of Counter Electrode Cu2S–rGO Composite to Enhance the Efficiency of Quantum Dot Solar Cells. Ceramics International, 50(15); 27127–27138
Nozik, A. J. (2002). Quantum Dot Solar Cells. Physica E: Low-Dimensional Systems and Nanostructures, 14(1–2); 115–120
Prasad, A. K., I.-R. Jo, S.-H. Kang, and K.-S. Ahn (2021). Novel Method for Synthesis of Reduced Graphene Oxide–Cu2S and Its Application As a Counter Electrode in Quantum-Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells. Applied Surface Science, 564; 150393
Que, M., W. Guo, X. Zhang, X. Li, Q. Hua, L. Dong, and C. Pan (2014). Flexible Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells Employing CoS Nanorod Arrays/Graphite Paper as Effective Counter Electrodes. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2(33); 13661–13667
Radich, E. J., R. Dwyer, and P. V. Kamat (2011). Cu2S Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite for High-Efficiency Quantum Dot Solar Cells: Overcoming the Redox Limitations of S−2 /Sn−2 at the Counter Electrode. Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 2(19); 2453–2460
Rathnavel, P., C. Murukesh, and R. Umamaheswari (2023). Fabrication of a Novel rGO Encapsulated Nickel Cobalt Chalcogenide Electrocatalyst as an Efficient Counter Electrode to Boost Efficiency of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics, 34(11); 8159–8170
Telussa, I., E. G. Fransina, E. R. M. A. P. Lilipaly, and A. M. I. Efruan (2022). Effect of Photosynthetic Pigment Composition of Tropical Marine Microalgae from Ambon Bay Navicula sp. TAD on Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Efficiency. Science and Technology Indonesia, 7(4); 486–491
Tian, Z., Q. Chen, and Q. Zhong (2020). Honeycomb Spherical 1T-MoS2 as Efficient Counter Electrodes for Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells. Chemical Engineering Journal, 396; 125374
Van Le, N., H. T. Nguyen, H. V. Le, and T. T. P. Nguyen (2017). Lead Sulfide Cathode for Quantum Dot Solar Cells: Electrosynthesis and Characterization. Journal of Electronic Materials, 46(1); 274–281
Van Thang, B., H. T. Tung, D. H. Phuc, T. P. Nguyen, T. Van Man, and L. Q. Vinh (2023). High-Efficiency Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Flexible rGO-Cu2S Electrodes Compared with PbS, CuS, Cu2S CEs. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 250; 112042
Wang, J., M. M. Rahman, C. Ge, and J.-J. Lee (2018). Electrodeposition of Cu2S Nanoparticles on Fluorine-Doped Tin Oxide for Efficient Counter Electrode of Quantum-Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 62; 185–191
Yang, W., Y. Sun, P. Yang, and X. Chen (2019). CoS/Nanocarbon Composite as a Catalytic Counter Electrode for Improved Performance of Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells. Journal of Nanomaterials, 2019; 2710712
Ye, M., C. Chen, N. Zhang, X. Wen, W. Guo, and C. Lin (2014). Quantum-Dot Sensitized Solar Cells Employing Hierarchical Cu2S Microspheres Wrapped by Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanosheets as Effective Counter Electrodes. Advanced Energy Materials, 4(9); 1301564
Yuan, B., Q. Gao, X. Zhang, L. Duan, L. Chen, Z. Mao, and W. Lü (2018). Reduced Graphene Oxide (RGO)/Cu2S Composite as Catalytic Counter Electrode for Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells. Electrochimica Acta, 277; 50–58
Zhang, X., L. Duan, X. Zhang, X. Li, and W. Lü (2020). Preparation of Cu2S@rGO Hybrid Composites as Anode Materials for Enhanced Electrochemical Properties of Lithium Ion Battery. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 816; 152539
Dang, H. P., H. T. Tung, N. T. M. Hanh, N. T. K. Duyen, V. T. N. Thuy, N. T. H. Anh, and L. V. Hieu (2024). Efficient Counter Electrode for Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells Using P-Type PbS@Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite. Nanoscale Advances, 7(3); 700–710
Du, Z., Z. Pan, F. Fabregat-Santiago, K. Zhao, D. Long, H. Zhang, and J. Bisquert (2016). Carbon Counter-Electrode-Based Quantum-Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells with Certified Efficiency Exceeding 11%. Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 7(16); 3103–3111
Eryiğit, M., S. Mobtakeri, E. P. Gür, E. Temur, T. O. Özer, U. Demir, and E. Gür (2022). Efficient CdS Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Electrochemically Reduced Graphene Oxide (ERGO)/ZnO Nanowall Photoanodes and MoS2,WS2, CuS Cascaded Counter Electrodes. Solar Energy, 234; 348–359
Ghosh, D., G. Halder, A. Sahasrabudhe, and S. Bhattacharyya (2016). A Microwave Synthesized CuxS and Graphene Oxide Nanoribbon Composite as a Highly Efficient Counter Electrode for Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells. Nanoscale, 8(20); 10632–10641
Guo, H., R. Zhou, Y. Huang, L.Wan,W. Gan, H. Niu, and J. Xu (2018). Electrodeposited CuInSe2 Counter Electrodes for Efficient and Stable Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells. Ceramics International, 44(13); 16092–16098
Jo, I. R., J. A. Rajesh, Y. H. Lee, J. H. Park, and K. S. Ahn (2020). Enhanced Electrocatalytic Activity and Electrochemical Stability of Cu2S/PbS Counter Electrode for Quantum-Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells. Applied Surface Science, 525; 146643
Krishna Prasad, A., I. R. Jo, S. H. Kang, and K. S. Ahn (2021). Novel Method for Synthesis of Reduced Graphene Oxide–Cu2S and Its Application as a Counter Electrode in Quantum-Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells. Applied Surface Science, 564; 150393
Kusumawati, N., P. Setiarso, S. Muslim, Q. A. Hafidha, S. A. Cahyani, and F. F. Fachrirakarsie (2024). Optimization Thickness of Photoanode Layer and Membrane as Electrolyte Trapping Medium for Improvement Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Performance. Science and Technology Indonesia, 9(1); 7–16
Lee, Y.-H., Y.-H. Yun, V. Hong Vinh Quy, S.-H. Kang, H. Kim, E. Vijayakumar, and K.-S. Ahn (2019). Preparation of Nickel Selenide by Pulsed-Voltage Electrodeposition and Its Application as a Highly-Efficient Electrocatalyst at Counter Electrodes of Quantum-Dot Sensitized Solar Cells. Electrochimica Acta, 296; 364–371
Li, W., S. Zhang, Q. Chen, and Q. Zhong (2022). Highly-Dispersed CoS2/N-Doped Carbon Nanoparticles Anchored on RGO Skeleton as a Hierarchical Composite Counter Electrode for Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells. Chemical Engineering Journal, 430; 132732
López-Rojas, O., M. del Socorro Aguilar, J. de Jesús Ku-Herrera, R. M. Jiménez-Barrera, V. H. López, J. García, and T. López-Luke (2024). Photoelectrochemical Study of the Performance Enhancement of CNT-Based Counter Electrodes by Adding N-S Doped rGO in QD Solar Cells: Photoelectrochemical Study of the Performance Enhancement of CNT-Based Counter Electrodes. Journal of Electronic Materials, 54(2); 1141–115
Malavekar, D. B., V. C. Lokhande, V. J. Mane, S. B. Kale, R. N. Bulakhe, U. M. Patil, and C. D. Lokhande (2020). Facile Synthesis of Layered Reduced Graphene Oxide–Copper Sulfide (rGO–CuS) Hybrid Electrode for All Solid-State Symmetric Supercapacitor. Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry, 24(11–12); 2963–2974
Mehmood, U. and A. Ul Haq Khan (2019). Spray Coated PbS Nano-Crystals as an Effective Counter-Electrode Material for Platinum Free Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs). Solar Energy, 193; 1–5
Meng, K., G. Chen, and K. R. Thampi (2015). Metal Chalcogenides as Counter Electrode Materials in Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells: A Perspective. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 3; 23074–23089
Monika, S., M. Mahalakshmi, N. Subha, M. S. Pandian, and P. Ramasamy (2022). Graphene Quantum Dots and CuS Microflowers Anchored rGO Composite Counter Electrode for the Enhanced Performance of Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells. Diamond and Related Materials, 125; 109033
My Hanh, N. T., H. T. Tung, N. T. K. Duyen, V. C. Nguyen, L. Van Hieu, N. T. Nguyen, and H. P. Dang (2024). Effect of Hydrothermal Time on Catalyst Activity of Counter Electrode Cu2S–rGO Composite to Enhance the Efficiency of Quantum Dot Solar Cells. Ceramics International, 50(15); 27127–27138
Nozik, A. J. (2002). Quantum Dot Solar Cells. Physica E: Low-Dimensional Systems and Nanostructures, 14(1–2); 115–120
Prasad, A. K., I.-R. Jo, S.-H. Kang, and K.-S. Ahn (2021). Novel Method for Synthesis of Reduced Graphene Oxide–Cu2S and Its Application As a Counter Electrode in Quantum-Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells. Applied Surface Science, 564; 150393
Que, M., W. Guo, X. Zhang, X. Li, Q. Hua, L. Dong, and C. Pan (2014). Flexible Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells Employing CoS Nanorod Arrays/Graphite Paper as Effective Counter Electrodes. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2(33); 13661–13667
Radich, E. J., R. Dwyer, and P. V. Kamat (2011). Cu2S Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite for High-Efficiency Quantum Dot Solar Cells: Overcoming the Redox Limitations of S−2 /Sn−2 at the Counter Electrode. Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 2(19); 2453–2460
Rathnavel, P., C. Murukesh, and R. Umamaheswari (2023). Fabrication of a Novel rGO Encapsulated Nickel Cobalt Chalcogenide Electrocatalyst as an Efficient Counter Electrode to Boost Efficiency of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics, 34(11); 8159–8170
Telussa, I., E. G. Fransina, E. R. M. A. P. Lilipaly, and A. M. I. Efruan (2022). Effect of Photosynthetic Pigment Composition of Tropical Marine Microalgae from Ambon Bay Navicula sp. TAD on Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell Efficiency. Science and Technology Indonesia, 7(4); 486–491
Tian, Z., Q. Chen, and Q. Zhong (2020). Honeycomb Spherical 1T-MoS2 as Efficient Counter Electrodes for Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells. Chemical Engineering Journal, 396; 125374
Van Le, N., H. T. Nguyen, H. V. Le, and T. T. P. Nguyen (2017). Lead Sulfide Cathode for Quantum Dot Solar Cells: Electrosynthesis and Characterization. Journal of Electronic Materials, 46(1); 274–281
Van Thang, B., H. T. Tung, D. H. Phuc, T. P. Nguyen, T. Van Man, and L. Q. Vinh (2023). High-Efficiency Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Flexible rGO-Cu2S Electrodes Compared with PbS, CuS, Cu2S CEs. Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 250; 112042
Wang, J., M. M. Rahman, C. Ge, and J.-J. Lee (2018). Electrodeposition of Cu2S Nanoparticles on Fluorine-Doped Tin Oxide for Efficient Counter Electrode of Quantum-Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 62; 185–191
Yang, W., Y. Sun, P. Yang, and X. Chen (2019). CoS/Nanocarbon Composite as a Catalytic Counter Electrode for Improved Performance of Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells. Journal of Nanomaterials, 2019; 2710712
Ye, M., C. Chen, N. Zhang, X. Wen, W. Guo, and C. Lin (2014). Quantum-Dot Sensitized Solar Cells Employing Hierarchical Cu2S Microspheres Wrapped by Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanosheets as Effective Counter Electrodes. Advanced Energy Materials, 4(9); 1301564
Yuan, B., Q. Gao, X. Zhang, L. Duan, L. Chen, Z. Mao, and W. Lü (2018). Reduced Graphene Oxide (RGO)/Cu2S Composite as Catalytic Counter Electrode for Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells. Electrochimica Acta, 277; 50–58
Zhang, X., L. Duan, X. Zhang, X. Li, and W. Lü (2020). Preparation of Cu2S@rGO Hybrid Composites as Anode Materials for Enhanced Electrochemical Properties of Lithium Ion Battery. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 816; 152539
Authors
Duyen, N. T. K., Hanh, N. T. M. ., Hieu, L. V., Luu, T. V. H. ., & Dang, . H. P. (2026). Electrochemically Deposited rGO Cu2S Composite as a High-Performance Counter Electrode for Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells. Science and Technology Indonesia, 11(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.26554/sti.2026.11.1.1-9
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