Graphene Applications in Solar Cells

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1077.2012.12043

Abstract

Abstract: Graphene has attracted much attention in fields such as physics, chemistry, and materials science, because of its unique properties and potential applications. Interests in graphene applications in solar cells have been motivated to meet the demand of improving the photovoltaic performance. Graphene applications in solar cells, such as graphene based transparent conducting electrodes, photoanodes, and accepter materials, are reviewed systematically. The further prospects and improvement of graphene applications are also discussed.

Key words: graphene, solar cells, thin film, composite, review

CLC Number:

TQ174

JIANG Li-Li, LU Xiong. Graphene Applications in Solar Cells[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2012, 27(11): 1129-1137.

References

[1] Novoselov K, Geim A, Morozov S, et al. Electric field effect in atomically thin carbon films. Science, 2004, 306(5696): 666–669.

[2] Bolotin K I, Sikes K, Jiang Z, et al. Ultrahigh electron mobility in suspended graphene. Solid State Commun., 2008, 146(9/10): 351–355.

[3] Moroz ov S V, Novoselov K S, Katsnelson M I, et al. Giant intrinsic carrier mobilities in graphene and its bilayer. Phys. Rev. Lett., 2008, 100(1): 016602–1–4.

[4] Zhu Y, Murali S, Cai W, et al. Graphene and graphene oxide: synthesis, properties, and applications. Adv. Mater., 2010, 22(35): 3906–3924.

[5] Wang X, Zhi L, Müllen K. Transparent, conductive graphene electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells. Nano Lett., 2008, 8(1): 323–327.

[6] Wang Y, Tong S W, Xu X F, et al. Interface engineering of layer-by-layer stacked graphene anodes for high-performance organic solar cells. Adv. Mater., 2011, 23(13): 1514–1518.

[7] Guo C X, Guai G H, Li C M. Graphene based materials: enhancing solar energy harvesting. Adv. Energy Mater., 2011, 1(3): 448–452.

[8] Pang S, Hernandez Y, Feng X, et al. Graphene as transparent electrode material for organic electronics. Adv. Mater., 2011, 23(25): 2779–2795.

[9] Kavan L, Yum J H, Gr?tzel M. Optically transparent cathode for dye-sensitized solar cells based on graphene nanoplatelets. ACS Nano, 2011, 5(1): 165–172.

[10] Velten J, Mozer A J, Li D, et al. Carbon nanotube/graphene nanocomposite as efficient counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells. Nanotechnology, 2012, 23(8): 085201–1–6.

[11] Pan Z, Gu H, Wu M T, et al. Graphene-based functional materials for organic solar cells. Opt. Mater. Express, 2012, 2(6): 814–824.

[12] Hong W, Xu Y, Lu G, et al. Transparent graphene/PEDOT-PSS composite films as counter electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells. Electrochem. Commun., 2008, 10(10): 1555–1558.

[13] Watcharotone S, Dikin D A, Stankovich S, et al. Graphene-silica composite thin films as transparent conductors. Nano Lett., 2007, 7(7): 1888–1892.

[14] Yin Z, Sun S, Salim T, et al. Organic photovoltaic devices using highly flexible reduced graphene oxide films as transparent electrodes. ACS Nano, 2010, 4(9): 5263–5268.

[15] Hasan S A, Rigueur J L, Harl R R, et al. Transferable graphene oxide films with tunable microstructures. ACS Nano, 2010, 4(12): 7367–7372.

[16] Lee V, Whittaker L, Jaye C, et al. Large-area chemically modified graphene films: electrophoretic deposition and characterization by soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Chem. Mater., 2009, 21(16): 3905–3916.

[17] Choi H, Hwang S, Bae H, et al. Electrophoretic graphene for transparent counter electrodes in dye-sensitised solar cells. Electron Lett., 2011, 47(4): 281–283.

[18] Wang Y, Chen X, Zhong Y, et al. Large area, continuous, few-layered graphene as anodes in organic photovoltaic devices. Appl. Phys. Lett., 2009, 95(6): 063302–1–3.

[19] Gomez De Arco L, Zhang Y, Schlenker C W, et al. Continuous, highly flexible, and transparent graphene films by chemical vapor deposition for organic photovoltaics. ACS Nano, 2010, 4(5): 2865–2873.

[20] Tan Y, Jayawardena K, Adikaari A, et al. Photo-thermal chemical vapour deposition growth of graphene. Carbon, 2011, 50(2): 668–673.

[21] Bi H, Huang F, Liang J, et al. Transparent conductive graphene films synthesized by ambient pressure chemical vapor deposition used as the front electrode of CdTe solar cells. Adv. Mater., 2011, 23(28): 3202–3206.

[22] Park H, Brown P R, Bulovic V, et al. Graphene as transparent conducting electrodes in organic photovoltaic: studies in graphene morphology, hole transporting layers, and counter electrodes. Nano Lett., 2012, 12(1): 133–140.

[23] Kasry A, Kuroda M A, Martyna G J, et al. Chemical doping of large-area stacked graphene films for use as transparent, conducting electrodes. ACS Nano, 2010, 4(7): 3839–3844.

[24] Lee W H, Suk J W, Lee J, et al. Simultaneous transfer and doping of CVD-Grown graphene by fluoropolymer for transparent conductive films on plastic. ACS Nano, 2012, 6(2): 1284–1290.

[25] Zhou X, Huang X, Qi X, et al. In situ synthesis of metal nanoparticles on single-layer graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide surfaces. J. Phys. Chem. C, 2009, 113(25): 10842–10846.

[26] Yin Z, Wu S, Zhou X, et al. Electrochemical deposition of ZnO nanorods on transparent reduced graphene oxide electrodes for hybrid solar cells. Small, 2010, 6(2): 307–312.

[27] Zhou Y, Yang J, Cheng X, et al. Electrostatic self-assembly of graphene-silver multilayer films and their transmittance and electronic conductivity. Carbon, 2012, 50(12): 4343–4350.

[28] Zhang S, Li Y, Pan N. Graphene based supercapacitor fabricated by vacuum filtration deposition. J. Power Sources, 2012, 206: 476–482.

[29] T?lle F J, Fabritius M, Mülhaupt R. Emulsifier-free graphene dispersions with high graphene content for printed electronics and freestanding graphene films. Adv. Funct. Mater., 2012, 22(6): 1136–1144.

[30] Salehi-Khojin A, Estrada D, Lin K Y, et al. Chemical sensors based on randomly stacked graphene flakes. Appl. Phys. Lett., 2012, 100(3): 033111–1–4.

[31] Eda G, Lin Y Y, Miller S, et al. Transparent and conducting electrodes for organic electronics from reduced graphene oxide. Appl. Phys. Lett., 2008, 92(23): 233305.

[32] Peng L, Feng Y, Lv P, et al. Transparent, conductive and flexible multi walled carbon nanotube/graphene hybrid electrodes with two three-dimensional microstructures. J. Phys. Chem. C, 2012, 116(8): 4970–4978.

[33] Kavan L, Yum J H, Gr?tzel M. Optically transparent cathode for dye-sensitized solar cells based on graphene nanoplatelets. ACS Nano, 2010, 5(1): 165–172.

[34] Roy-Mayhew J D, Boschloo G, Hagfeldt A, et al. Functionalized graphene sheets as a versatile replacement for platinum in dye-sensitized solar cells. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2012, 4(5): 2794–2800.

[35] Xue J, Rand B P, Uchida S, et al. A hybrid planar–mixed molecular heterojunction photovoltaic cell. Adv. Mater., 2005, 17(1): 66–71.

[36] Peet J, Kim J, Coates N E, et al. Efficiency enhancement in low-bandgap polymer solar cells by processing with alkane dithiols. Nat. Mater., 2007, 6(7): 497–500.

[37] Moulé A J, Meerholz K. Controlling morphology in polymer–fullerene mixtures. Adv. Mater., 2008, 20(2): 240–245.

[38] Kymakis E, Koudoumas E, Franghiadakis I, et al. Post-fabrication annealing effects in polymer-nanotube photovoltaic cells. J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys., 2006, 39(6): 1058.

[39] Liu Z, Liu Q, Huang Y, et al. Organic photovoltaic devices based on a novel acceptor material: graphene. Adv. Mater., 2008, 20(20): 3924–3930.

[40] Liu Q, Liu Z, Zhang X, et al. Polymer photovoltaic cells based on solution-processable graphene and P3HT. Adv. Funct. Mater., 2009, 19(6): 894–904.

[41] Liu Z, Liu L, Li H, et al. “Green” polymer solar cell based on water-soluble poly [3-(potassium-6-hexanoate) thiophene-2, 5-diyl] and aqueous-dispersible noncovalent functionalized graphene sheets. Sol. Energ. Mat. Sol. C, 2012, 97: 28–33.

[42] Yu D, Park K, Durstock M, et al. Fullerene-grafted graphene for efficient bulk heterojunction polymer photovoltaic devices. J. Phys. Chem. Lett., 2011, 2(10): 1113–1118.

[43] Mkhoyan K A, Contryman A W, Silcox J, et al. Atomic and electronic structure of graphene-oxide. Nano Lett., 2009, 9(3): 1058–1063.

[44] Loh K P, Bao Q, Eda G, et al. Graphene oxide as a chemically tunable platform for optical applications. Nat. Chem., 2010, 2(12): 1015–1024.

[45] Becerril H A, Mao J, Liu Z, et al. Evaluation of solution-processed reduced graphene oxide films as transparent conductors. ACS Nano, 2008, 2(3): 463–470.

[46] Yu H, Kaneko Y, Yoshimura S, et al. Photovoltaic cell of carbonaceous film/n-type silicon. Appl. Phys. Lett., 1996, 68(4): 547–549.

[47] Wei J, Jia Y, Shu Q, et al. Double-walled carbon nanotube solar cells. Nano Lett., 2007, 7(8): 2317–2321.

[48] Arena A, Donato N, Saitta G, et al. Photovoltaic properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes deposited on n-doped silicon. Microelectron. J., 2008, 39(12): 1659–1662.

[49] Li Z, Kunets V P, Saini V, et al. Light-harvesting using high density p-type single wall carbon nanotube/n-type silicon heterojunctions. ACS Nano, 2009, 3(6): 1407–1414.

[50] Li X, Zhu H, Wang K, et al. Graphene-on-silicon schottky junction solar cells. Adv. Mater., 2010, 22(25): 2743–2748.

[51] Xie C, Lv P, Nie B, et al. Monolayer graphene film/silicon nanowire array Schottky junction solar cells. Appl. Phys. Lett., 2011, 99(13): 133113–1–3.

[52] Xie C, Jie J, Nie B, et al. Schottky solar cells based on graphene nanoribbon/multiple silicon nanowires junctions. Appl. Phys. Lett., 2012, 100(19): 193103–1–4.

[53] Zhang L, Fan L, Li Z, et al. Graphene-CdSe nanobelt solar cells with tunable configurations. Nano Res., 2011, 4(9): 891–900.

[54] Liu Z, Li J, Sun Z H, et al. The application of highly doped single-layer graphene as the top electrodes of semitransparent organic solar cells. ACS Nano, 2012, 6(1): 810–818.

[55] O'regan B, Gr?tzel M. A low-cost, high-efficiency solar cell based on dye-sensitized colloidal TiO2 films. Nature, 1991, 353(6346): 737–740.

[56] Van de Lagemaat J, Benkstein K D, Frank A J. Relation between particle coordination number and porosity in nanoparticle films: implications to dye-sensitized solar cells. J. Phys. Chem. B, 2001, 105(50): 12433–12436.

[57] Wang Q, Zhang Z, Zakeeruddin S M, et al. Enhancement of the performance of dye-sensitized solar cell by formation of shallow transport levels under visible light illumination. J. Phys. Chem. C, 2008, 112(17): 7084–7092.

[58] Kim J Y, Noh J H, Zhu K, et al. General strategy for fabricating transparent TiO2 nanotube arrays for dye-sensitized photoelectrodes:llumination geometry and transport properties. ACS Nano, 2011, 5(4): 2647–2656.

[59] Yen M Y, Hsiao M C, Liao S H, et al. Preparation of graphene/multi-walled carbon nanotube hybrid and its use as photoanodes of dye-sensitized solar cells. Carbon, 2011, 49(11): 3597–3606.

[60] Brennan L J, Byrne M T, Bari M, et al. Carbon nanomaterials for dye-sensitized solar cell applications: a bright future. Adv. Energy Mater., 2011, 1(4): 472–485.

[61] Song J, Yin Z, Yang Z, et al. Enhancement of photogenerated electron transport in dye‐sensitized solar cells with introduction of a reduced graphene oxide–TiO2 junction. Chem. Eur. J., 2011, 17(39): 10832–10837.

[62] Jang Y H, Xin X, Byun M, et al. An unconventional route to high efficiency dye-sensitized solar cells via embedding graphitic thin films into TiO2 nanoparticle photoanode. Nano Lett., 2012, 12(1): 479–485.

[63] Sun S, Gao L, Liu Y. Enhanced dye-sensitized solar cell using graphene-TiO2 photoanode prepared by heterogeneous coagulation. Appl. Phys. Lett., 2010, 96(8): 083113–1–3.

[64] Tsai T H, Chiou S C, Chen S M. Enhancement of dye-sensitized solar cells by using graphene-TiO2 composites as photoelectrochemical working electrode. Int. J. Electrochem. Sci., 2011, 6: 3333–3343.

[65] He Z, Guai G, Liu J, et al. Nanostructure control of graphene-composited TiO2 by a one-step solvothermal approach for high performance dye-sensitized solar cells. Nanoscale, 2011, 3(11): 4613–4616.

[66] Ding J, Yu C, Yuan N, et al. High-quality GS/TiO2 Composite for the Photoanode of the Dye-sensitized Solar Cells. Materials for Renewable Energy & Environment, Shanghai, 2011: 90–94.

[67] Tang Y B, Lee C S, Xu J, et al. Incorporation of graphenes in nanostructured TiO2 films via molecular grafting for dye-sensitized solar cell application. ACS Nano, 2010, 4(6): 3482–3488.

[68] Yang N, Zhai J, Wang D, et al. Two-dimensional graphene bridges enhanced photoinduced charge transport in dye-sensitized solar cells. ACS Nano, 2010, 4(2): 887–894.

[69] Li G, Wang T, Zhu Y, et al. Preparation and photoelectrochemical performance of Ag/graphene/TiO2 composite film. Appl. Surf. Sci., 2011, 257(15): 6568–6572.

[70] Wang P, Han L, Zhu C, et al. Aqueous-phase synthesis of Ag-TiO2-reduced graphene oxide and Pt-TiO2-reduced graphene oxide hybrid nanostructures and their catalytic properties. Nano Res., 2011, 4(11): 1153–1162.

[71] Zhu G, Xu T, Lv T, et al. Graphene-incorporated nanocrystalline TiO2 films for CdS quantum dot sensitized solar cells. J. Electroanal. Chem., 2010, 650(2): 248–251.

[72] Guo C X, Yang H B, Sheng Z M, et al. Layered graphene/quantum dots for photovoltaic devices. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2010, 49(17): 3014–3017.