V2O5 as an inexpensive counter electrode for dye sensitized solar cells

In pursuit of an abundant, inexpensive and stable counter electrode as an alternative to platinum for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs),we report a new, low-cost substitute material. Here for the first time, we demonstrate thatV2O5 can be used as a counter electrode material in DSSCs. We note that the efficiency of DSSCs with commercialV2O5 and hydrothermal treatedV2O5 are up to 1.2% and 1.6%, respectively. The results indicate that, with optimization,V2O5 can be a promising choice to replace platinum from a cost perspective. The innovation of new economical counter electrodes offers a potential way to cut down the industrial costs which is crucial for large-scale production and commercial applications of DSSCs.