Fabrication of Mesoporous CoS₂Nanotube Arrays as the Counter Electrodes of Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Mesoporous cobalt sulfide nanotube arrays on FTO-coated glass were synthesized by combining three simple technologies: the selective etching of ZnO sacrificial templates, mesoporous Co3 O4 formation from cobalt-chelated chitosan, and ion-exchange reaction (IER). The mesoporous Co3 O4 nanotubes composed of the Co3 O4 nanoparticles possess a high surface area and are taken advantage for further removal of templates and IER. The morphologies and crystal structures of the CoS2 nanotube arrays were characterized by SEM, TEM, and XRD analyses. Their electrocatalytic properties were determined by electrochemical analyses including cyclic voltammetry measurements and Tafel polarization. The DSSCs assembled with a CoS2 counter electrode achieved a power conversion efficiency of 6.13 %, which was comparable to that of the DSSC with the Pt counter electrode (6.04 %). This indicates that the mesoporous CoS2 nanotube array can be a low-cost and efficient alternative for the reduction of electrolytes in DSSCs.