ABSTRACT:We developed a 3D MoS₂ nanoflakes on graphene aerogel (GA) used as a synthetic template. The resulting MoS₂/GA (MG) hybrid possessed 3D nanoscopic layer MoS₂ with an abundance of exposed edge sites, in contrast to aggregated MoS₂ bulk grown without GA. The MoS₂/GA hybrid showed excellent electrical conductivity and catalytic activity as an alternative to platinum counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) compared to conventional bulk MoS₂. The resulting MG-based counter electrodes (CEs) exhibited higher power conversion efficiencies (7.86%) than pure MoS₂ (2.2%) and surpassed that of Pt (7.2%). The excellent performance of DSSCs can be ascribed to the abundance of catalytic edge sites and the 3D structure of MoS₂ nanoflakes for increased electrolyte/reactant diffusion, and the outstanding electrical coupling to the underlying graphene aerogel. Hence, our results demonstrate that the MG materials deserve further investigation for dye-sensitized solar cells