Revitalizing Battery Waste: Graphite Electrode-Derived Graphene Oxide as Electrocatalyst for Advancing Platinum-Free Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Muhammad Shoaib; Muhammad Younas; Sofia Siddique; Umer Mehmood

doi:10.1002/app.57544

Revitalizing Battery Waste: Graphite Electrode-Derived Graphene Oxide as Electrocatalyst for Advancing Platinum-Free Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Muhammad Shoaib
, Muhammad Younas
, Sofia Siddique
, Umer Mehmood^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Core Research Facilities

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

In this study, graphene oxide was obtained from graphite electrodes of waste dry cell batteries and characterized via SEM, XRD, and four-probe conductivity analyses. The composite was made by mixing graphene oxide with polyvinylpyrrolidone and applied to a conductive glass substrate to produce the counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells. Current–voltage characteristics were used to evaluate the resulting cells. The results showed that the concentration of polyvinylpyrrolidone in the paste significantly affected the photovoltaic performance of cells. Under optimal conditions, the cell with a counter electrode containing 75% graphene oxide achieved 2.1468% efficiency, surpassing those with platinum-based DSSCs.

Original language	English
Article number	e57544
Journal	Journal of Applied Polymer Science
Volume	142
Issue number	40
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/app.57544
State	Published - 20 Oct 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

Keywords

batteries and fuel cells
catalysts
composites
electrochemistry

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Chemistry
Surfaces, Coatings and Films
Polymers and Plastics
Materials Chemistry

Access to Document

10.1002/app.57544

Cite this

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title = "Revitalizing Battery Waste: Graphite Electrode-Derived Graphene Oxide as Electrocatalyst for Advancing Platinum-Free Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells",

abstract = "In this study, graphene oxide was obtained from graphite electrodes of waste dry cell batteries and characterized via SEM, XRD, and four-probe conductivity analyses. The composite was made by mixing graphene oxide with polyvinylpyrrolidone and applied to a conductive glass substrate to produce the counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells. Current{\textendash}voltage characteristics were used to evaluate the resulting cells. The results showed that the concentration of polyvinylpyrrolidone in the paste significantly affected the photovoltaic performance of cells. Under optimal conditions, the cell with a counter electrode containing 75\% graphene oxide achieved 2.1468\% efficiency, surpassing those with platinum-based DSSCs.",

keywords = "batteries and fuel cells, catalysts, composites, electrochemistry",

author = "Muhammad Shoaib and Muhammad Younas and Sofia Siddique and Umer Mehmood",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 Wiley Periodicals LLC.",

year = "2025",

month = oct,

day = "20",

doi = "10.1002/app.57544",

language = "English",

volume = "142",

journal = "Journal of Applied Polymer Science",

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T1 - Revitalizing Battery Waste

T2 - Graphite Electrode-Derived Graphene Oxide as Electrocatalyst for Advancing Platinum-Free Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

AU - Shoaib, Muhammad

AU - Younas, Muhammad

AU - Siddique, Sofia

AU - Mehmood, Umer

PY - 2025/10/20

Y1 - 2025/10/20

N2 - In this study, graphene oxide was obtained from graphite electrodes of waste dry cell batteries and characterized via SEM, XRD, and four-probe conductivity analyses. The composite was made by mixing graphene oxide with polyvinylpyrrolidone and applied to a conductive glass substrate to produce the counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells. Current–voltage characteristics were used to evaluate the resulting cells. The results showed that the concentration of polyvinylpyrrolidone in the paste significantly affected the photovoltaic performance of cells. Under optimal conditions, the cell with a counter electrode containing 75% graphene oxide achieved 2.1468% efficiency, surpassing those with platinum-based DSSCs.

AB - In this study, graphene oxide was obtained from graphite electrodes of waste dry cell batteries and characterized via SEM, XRD, and four-probe conductivity analyses. The composite was made by mixing graphene oxide with polyvinylpyrrolidone and applied to a conductive glass substrate to produce the counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells. Current–voltage characteristics were used to evaluate the resulting cells. The results showed that the concentration of polyvinylpyrrolidone in the paste significantly affected the photovoltaic performance of cells. Under optimal conditions, the cell with a counter electrode containing 75% graphene oxide achieved 2.1468% efficiency, surpassing those with platinum-based DSSCs.

KW - batteries and fuel cells

KW - catalysts

KW - composites

KW - electrochemistry

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DO - 10.1002/app.57544

M3 - Article

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SN - 0021-8995

VL - 142

JO - Journal of Applied Polymer Science

JF - Journal of Applied Polymer Science

IS - 40

M1 - e57544

ER -

Revitalizing Battery Waste: Graphite Electrode-Derived Graphene Oxide as Electrocatalyst for Advancing Platinum-Free Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Abstract

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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