Preparation and characterization of polyaniline film on stainless steel by electrochemical polymerization as a counter electrode of DSSC

Polyaniline (PANI) films were electrodeposited on stainless steel 304 (SS) from 0.5 M H2SO4 solution containing 0.3 M aniline by potentiostatic techniques to prepare a low cost and non-fragile counter electrode in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The compact layer, micro-particles, nanorods and fibrils were observed on the top of PANI films with different applied potentials (Eappl) by SEM. Then the conductivity and electrochemical test illuminated that a polyaniline film with the highest conductivity and best electrocatalytic activity for I3−/I− reaction was electrodeposited at 1.0 V Eappl. Finally, the photoelectric measurement showed that the energy conversion efficiency of DSSC with the PANI electrode was increased with the Eappl decreasing. And the efficiency of DSSC with PANI counter electrode at 1.0 V was higher than that with Pt electrode, owing to the loosely porous structure, high conductivity and excellent catalytic activity of PANI electrode.