Aerosol assisted chemical vapor deposition methods useful for making dye-sensitized solar cells with platinum dialkyldithiocarbamate complexes

An aerosol assisted chemical vapor deposition method for depositing a platinum layer onto a substrate, the method comprising:

• heating the substrate to a deposition temperature above 150° C. in a reactor;
• and
• introducing into the reactor, at the deposition temperature, an aerosol comprising a platinum dithiocarbamate compound, salt, and/or solvate thereof, at a deposition temperature in a range of 350 to 600° C., to thereby deposit the platinum layer on the substrate,
• wherein the platinum dithiocarbamate compound is of formula (Ib):
• wherein R1 and R2 are independently hydrogen or C1 to C3 alkyl, and
• wherein R3 to R7 are independently hydrogen, C0-3-alkyl-halide, C1-5-alkyl, C0-3alkyl-alcohol, C0-3-alkyl-thiol, C0-3-alkyl-amine, C0-3-alkyl-carboxylate, C0-3-alkyl-nitrile, C0-3-alkyl-thiocyanate, C0-3-alkyl-isocyanate, C0-3-alkyl-cyanate, C0-3-alkyl-O—C1-5alkyl, C0-3alkyl-CO2—C1-5-alkyl, C0-3-alkyl-O2C—C1-5alkyl, C0-3-alkyl-N—(C1-5-alkyl)2, C0-3-alkyl-C(O)N—(C1-5-alkyl)2, C0-3-alkyl-C(O)—C1-5-alkyl, or C0-3-alkyl-S—C1-5-alkyl
• wherein the platinum layer formed has a thickness in a range of at least 350 nm after 30 minutes of deposition time, and
• wherein the platinum layer comprises at least 90 wt. % of elemental Pt, based on total deposition layer weight.