Polyoxovanadate derived VN@C composite catalysts by different synthesis routes as Pt-free counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

Vanadium-based nitrides have been applied as Pt-free counter electrodes (CEs) electro-catalysts for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) due to inexpensive cost and easy doping and modification. Herein, polyoxovanadate (NH 4 ) 2 V 6 O 16 assisted by melamine to prepare VN@C composites by five different synthesis routes, including solvothermal, sol–gel, hydrothermal, ball milling, and chemical mixing method. And then, five VN@C composites were assembled as CEs in the encapsulated DSSCs, and yielded power conversion efficiencies of 4.47, 5.04, 5.35, 5.49 and 6.11% for regenerate traditional I 3 − /I − shuttles by the photocurrent-photovoltage ( J - V ) test, respectively. The catalytic performances of VN@C composites CEs were assessed by cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and Tafel polarization experiments, and the significant effects of different synthetic routes were confirmed. The results revealed that VN@C composite CEs prepared by chemical mixing method had higher catalytic performance in DSSCs, which is due to the improvement of conductivity and the high concentration of active sites.