P-type nickel oxide acetylene black nanoparticles composite (NiO/AB) enables facile low cost counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells(DSSCs), prepared by simple chemical process and doctor-blading method. Nanocrystalline p-type NiO contributes in the improvement of holes conduction at the acetylene black surface and escalates the electrocatalytic activity, confirmed by our cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. Owing to the improvement of electrocatalytic activity, the mutual porous acetylene black surface with p-type NiO nanoparticles counter electrode and dye-sensitized TiO2 photoanodes yielded significantly enhanced power conversion efficiency of 7.75%, which is superior to that of 6.51% and 6.96% of AB and expensive Pt in our experiment respectively. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.