In-situ growth NiMoS3 nanoparticles onto electrospinning synthesis carbon nanofibers as a low cost platinum-free counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

Highlights: • The Electrospin and Vulcanization method were used to synthesize transition metal sulfide composites of NiMoS₃/CNFs. • he NiMoS₃/CNFs composites were first applied as a counter electrode (CE) material in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). • The DSSCs based on NiMoS₃/CNFs that achieved a PCE of 8.70%. -- Abstract: Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) possess a recent explosion of interest because of its high efficiency, low cost and good stability. It is important to finely optimize the catalytic of the electrode to achieve better performance. In this paper, we fabricate the transition metal sulfide composites (NiMoS₃/CNFs) by electrospinning and vulcanization method. The combination of transition metal sulfide and carbon nanofibers can provide highly electrocatalysts for counter electrode (CE) of DSSCs. Remarkably, DSSCs prepared by this CE have much higher catalytic activity and stable durability than Platinum (Pt) CE. The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of DSSCs use NiMoS₃/CNFs CEs is 8.70%, outperforming the value of Pt CE (7.53%). It demonstrates that the NiMoS₃/CNFs CEs exhibited potential reference for next generation CE materials in DSSCs.