Recent advances in graphene-based materials for dye-sensitized solar cell fabrication

Abstract

Graphene-based materials can produce high performance and sustainable DSSCs, through tuning of their excellent optoelectronic, mechanical, thermal and chemical properties for use as photoanodes, photosensitizers, electrolytes and counter electrodes.

Review of State of the Art Recycling Methods in the Context of Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

“…Using pencil lead as a carbon source is common, but does not result in the highest cell efficiencies [36]. Due to its formidable mechanical, optoelectronic, chemical and thermal properties, graphene-based DSSCs could become a sustainable solution [37].…”

“…The redox couples are typically iodine-or cobalt-based. However, iodine-based redox couples suffer from degradation and cobalt is a critical raw material [37]. Alternatives could be copper-based redox couples such as [Cu(2-mesityl-4,7-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline)) 2+/+ [65].…”

“…Copper is less toxic [37], more environmental friendly [65] and two times more abundant compared to cobalt [37]. Table 4 presents examples of relevant redox couples in DSSC research, their advantages and disadvantages, and reported efficiencies.…”

I-V Curves of an Apigenin Dye and Their Analysis by a New Parabolic Function

“…For more than 3 decades, scientists have been continuously and intensely engaged in the search for suitable dye systems to be used as sensitizers in the fabrication of highly efficient dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) (Mehmood et al, 2014;Muchuweni et al, 2020). The target DSSCs are expected to produce overall efficiency of similar magnitudes as those of silicon-based solar cells (SBSCs) (Kwon et al, 2016;Gong et al, 2017).…”

“…The target DSSCs are expected to produce overall efficiency of similar magnitudes as those of silicon-based solar cells (SBSCs) (Kwon et al, 2016;Gong et al, 2017). This, however, has not been achieved as most of the alreadysynthesized dye systems lacked the optical property require to produce an equivalent photoelectrical efficiency as those of the conventional SBSCs (Nazeeruddin et al, 2001;Mehmood et al, 2014;Kwon et al, 2016;Gong et al, 2017;Muchuweni et al, 2020). Of the already-synthesized plethora of dyes, the tricarboxy-terpyridyl ruthenium complex, commonly known as the black dye, is still the best photosensitizer (Nazeeruddin et al, 2001).…”