Well-Dispersive Polypyrrole and MoSe2 Embedded in Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube@Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanoribbon Electrocatalysts as the Efficient Counter Electrodes in Rigid and Plastic Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

In this study, a core–shell structured multiwall carbon nanotube@reduced graphene oxide nanoribbon (MWCNT@rGNR) was prepared by the facile unzipping of MWCNTs with mild conditions to synthesize the composites of the MWCNT@rGNR and polypyrrole (PPy) or MoSe2, which were used as the electrocatalysts for the counter electrodes (CEs) in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The transmission electron microscopy image of the MWCNT@rGNR showed a graphene sheet structure found on both sides of the MWCNTs, indicating a central core of the MWCNTs and its shell of the rGNR. The obtained MWCNT@rGNR functionalized with PPy or MoSe2 was envisaged to have the advantages of both component, that are the unique electronic structure of the MWCNT@rGNR and the synergistic effects of conductive PPy or electrocatalytically active MoSe2, respectively. The DSSCs with PPy/MWCNT@rGNR0.3 and MoSe2/MWCNT@rGNR0.3 showed comparable efficiency (photoelectric conversion efficiency, PCE = 7.48 and 8.34%, respectively), short-circuit current (Isc = 17.97 and 17.11 mA cm–2, respectively), and open-circuit voltage (Voc = 0.80 and 0.84 V, respectively) without any loss of the fill factor (FF = 0.52 and 0.58, respectively) as compared to the cell fabricated using a standard Pt electrode. The PCE of a standard Pt CE was 7.70% with an Isc of 16.09 mA cm–2, Voc of 0.76 V, and FF of 0.63. According to the results of the electrochemical measurements, composites with PPy or MoSe2 showed better electrocatalytic activity, higher redox-active surface area, and extremely large heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant. The plastic devices assembled with the PPy/MWCNT@rGNR0.3 and MoSe2/MWCNT@rGNR0.3 coated on a flexible plastic substrate (indium tin oxide-coated polyethylene naphthalate; ITO/PEN)exhibited impressive PCEs of 4.61 and 5.25%, respectively, comparable to those coated on the rigid fluorine-doped tin oxide glass substrate. This work presented a facile low-temperature method to fabricate high-performance MWCNT@rGNR composite-based CEs to make them applicable to large-scale plastic DSSCs.