Synergistically Enhanced Electrochemical Performance of Ni3S4–PtX (X = Fe, Ni) Heteronanorods as Heterogeneous Catalysts in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Platinum (Pt)-based alloys are considerably promising electrocatalysts for the reduction of I–/I3– and Co2+/Co3+ redox couples in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). However, it is still challenging to minimize the dosage of Pt to achieve comparable or even higher catalytic efficiency. Here, by taking full advantages of the Mott–Schottky (M–S) effect at the metal–semiconductor interface, we successfully strategize a low-Pt-based M–S catalyst with enhanced electrocatalytic performance and stability for the large-scale application of DSSCs. The optimized M–S electrocatalyst of Ni3S4–Pt2X1 (X = Fe, Ni) heteronanorods is constructed by rationally controlling the ratio of Pt to transition metal in the hybrids. It was found that the electrons transferred from Ni3S4 to Pt2X1 at their interface under the Mott–Schottky effect result in the concentration of electrons onto Pt2X1 domains, which subsequently accelerates the regeneration of both I–/I3– and Co2+/Co3+ redox shuttles in DSSCs. As a result, the DSSC with N...