Graphene can be used as a transparent electrode layer for solar cells, because it has high conductivity and transparency, as well as flexibility and durability.
Can graphene be used to make transparent solar cells?
Until now, developers of transparent solar cells have typically relied on expensive, brittle electrodes that tend to crack when the device is flexed. The ability to use graphene instead is making possible truly flexible, low-cost, transparent solar cells that can turn virtually any surface into a source of electric power.
The ability to use graphene instead is making possible truly flexible, low-cost, transparent solar cells that can turn virtually any surface into a source of electric power. Photovoltaic solar cells made of organic compounds would offer a variety of advantages over today's inorganic silicon solar cells.
A new flexible graphene solar cell developed at MIT is seen in the transparent region at the center of this sample. Around its edges are metal contacts on which probes can be attached during tests of device performance.
What are the different types of graphene-based solar cells?
This review covers the different methods of graphene fabrication and broadly discusses the recent advances in graphene-based solar cells, including bulk heterojunction (BHJ) organic, dye-sensitized and perovskite solar cell deices.
How do graphene-based solar cells improve performance?
Key works related to graphene-based solar cells are reviewed and critically studied. Performance of graphene-based PVs is improved by functionalization, doping and oxidation. Flexibility of cells is improved with the use of graphene as transparent conductive electrode.
How efficient are flexible organic solar cells with a doped graphene transparent anode?
Extremely efficient flexible organic solar cells with a doped graphene transparent anode are demonstrated. 3 layer graphene is determined to be optimal for the cell design. A 0.2 cm 2 cell achieves a high power conversion efficiency of 6.85%. The thick photoactive layer enables production of a 1.6 cm 2 -large flexible cell with graphene anode.