▎ 摘　　要

The two step processes of hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) and DC sputtering were used to grow graphene like carbon (GLC)-nickel (Ni) nanocomposite thin film on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass and applied as counter electrode (CE) for dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The morphological and absorption properties revealed uniform GLC-Ni thin film with reasonable transmittance. The GLC-Ni thin film showed enhanced electrical conductivity as compared to FTO. The good electrocatalytic activity towards iodide ions in redox electrolyte was showed by the prepared GLC-Ni/FTO thin film electrode. The fabricated DSSC with GLC-Ni/FTO counter electrode (CE) presented relatively moderate solar-to-electrical conversion efficiency of similar to 3.1% with high short-circuit current density (J(SC)) of similar to 10.03 mA/cm(2), open circuit voltage (V-OC) of similar to 0.663 V with fill factor (FF) of similar to 0.45, which might attribute to enhanced electrical conductivity and the electrocatalytic activity of GLC-Ni/FTO CE. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.