Highly efficient and transparent counter electrode for application in bifacial solar cells

Highlights: • A PEDOT:PSS/DMSO/TX100/TiO2 CE is prepared for bifacial application. • Iso-octyphenoxy-polyethoxyethanol increases viscosity, and surface area of the CE. • The CE has high transmittance, porosity and high catalytic activity. • Under bifacial illunination the efficiency of CE is higher than that of the Pt CE. • The DSSC with the PEDOT:PSS/DMSO/TX100/TiO2 CE is very stable. Triton X-100, DMSO and TiO₂ were blended with PEDOT:PSS to produce a PEDOT:PSS/DMSO/TX100/TiO₂ CE. A bifacial DSSC based on the PEDOT:PSS/DMSO/TX100/TiO₂ CE was fabricated, and its photovoltaic characteristics were obtained under simulated solar light of 100 mWcm⁻². Under bifacial illumination, the DSSC with the Pt CE achieved a current density (J_sc) of 16.16 mAcm⁻² and system efficiency (E_sys) of 8.67% while the DSSC with the PEDOT:PSS/DMSO/TX100/TiO₂ CE achieved a J_sc of 17.72 mAcm⁻² and a E_sys of 9.14%. PEDOT:PSS/DMSO/TX100/TiO₂ CE is very stable, has a high transmittance, exhibits high electro-catalytic activity, and is an excellent substitute for the Pt CE.