Production and characterization of ITO-Pt semiconductor powder containing nanoscale noble metal particles catalytically active in dye-sensitized solar cells

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• 作者：Stipan Katusic ; Peter Albers ; Rainer Kern ; Frank-Martin Petrat ; Ronald Sastrawan ; Sarmimala Hore ; Andreas Hinsch and Andreas Gutsch
• 关键词：Indium tin oxide ; ITO ; Transparent conductive oxide ; TCO ; Platinum ; Spray pyrolysis ; Flame pyrolysis ; Catalyst ; Dye-sensitized solar cells ; Nanomaterial ; Nanodispersion ; Macroporosity ; Catalytic activity
• 刊名：Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells
• 出版年：2006
• 出版时间：15 August 2006
• 年：2006
• 卷：90
• 期：13
• 页码：1983-1999
• 全文大小：471 K

文摘

Doped indium tin oxide (ITO) samples of a surface area around 60 m²/g have been synthesized. As doping component platinum and gold atoms were utilized, respectively. The powders were produced by pyrolyzing mixed metal oxide precursors in a first zone in a flame consisting of hydrogen and air, metering a noble metal compound and reducing gas into a second zone of the flame and separating off the solid obtained in a third zone. Well-defined solid phases In₂Pt and In₂Au in ITO were obtained, respectively. The production of a mixture with discrete SnO₂ entities could be avoided. The mixed oxide powder doped with platinum can be used as a catalyst. The structure and composition of materials obtained at different levels of platinum dosing into a flame reactor has been determined. The size of the noble metal-containing entities ranged at about 3.5–5.5 nm. The catalytic properties of these oxides containing noble metal have been utilized in the fabrication of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Long term stability of DSCs containing liquid electrolytes requires a glass sealing of the two electrodes at a temperature of over 600 °C. Such high temperatures are detrimental to the catalytic activity of the conventional platinum layers in the counter electrode. Improved catalytic activity could be achieved by platinum entities bound to indium tin oxide. This catalytic material can effectively be used in the DSCs with glass sealing, the sealing temperature being over 600 °C. Spray pyrolysis in a flame reactor is highly suitable to produce noble metal-containing oxides in one single production step. Platinum-containing ITO particles from flame pyrolysis production exhibit superior catalytic activity in dye-sensitized solar cells compared to material from conventional thermal decomposition.