Hydrothermally synthesized MnO ₂ and Ag‐doped MnO ₂ as a low‐cost, efficient counter electrode material for dye‐sensitized solar cells

The counter electrode plays a pivotal role in determining the performance of dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). This study presents hydrothermal fabrication of manganese dioxide (MnO 2 ) and Ag‐doped manganese dioxide (Ag–MnO 2 ), which were subsequently integrated as counter electrodes in the devices. The crystal structures of the synthesized materials were analyzed using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and their electrocatalytic activities were evaluated using cyclic voltammetry. The photovoltaic properties of the fabricated devices were determined from their J–V characteristics under illumination. Electrochemical analysis indicated that Ag–MnO 2 exhibited enhanced electrocatalytic performance and reduced charge transfer resistance ( R ct ) relative to pristine MnO 2 . The DSSC incorporating Ag–MnO 2 achieved an enhanced PCE of 3.07%, with a V OC of 0.66 V and J SC of 13.3 mA cm −2 . These results suggest that Ag–MnO 2 is a promising low‐cost CE material for improved DSSC performance.