Theoretical understanding of the intrinsic mechanism for enhanced electrocatalytic activity and rational design for liquid-junction dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) are two persistent objectives in pursuing dual functional counter electrode (CE) electrocatalysts with excellent electrochemical activity and stability. In the current work, we launch a strategy of synthesizing ternary platinum alloys (Pt-M-Ni, M = Co, Pd, Fe) CE and study on the synergistic effects of transition metals on catalytic activity. The preliminary results demonstrate that the ternary Pt-M-Ni alloy can markedly enhance the electrocatalytic behavior toward 13, yielding maximum 8.71% efficiency in the optimized DSSC platforms in comparison with 7.10% for pure Pt based device. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.