化学工学およびプロセス技術ジャーナル
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概要

2D Graphene Sheets For Solar Cells

Sudhanshu Dwivedi

Graphene is a 2D carbon nanomaterial that is currently under heavy research investigation all over the worl due to its unique electrical, optical and mechanical properties. Graphene has profound applications in a variety of areas that include paper batteries, electronics devices for faster processor applications and enhanced memory & logic operations, biotechnology applications, mechanical applications, optical applications and even in practical workable spintronic devices that show large magnetoresistance at room temperature. Graphene is also envisaged for solar cell applications for highly efficient solar panels with high conversion efficiencies. Graphene is transparent in nature with light absorption coefficient as low as 2.3% ensuring higher absorption of a range of wavelengths of the impinged electromagnetic radiation. It can be used as an electrode, a buffer layer, an active support material layer or in form of an electron acceptor in solar cell devices. The solar cell market is heavily dominated by silicon (Si) based solar technology and graphene is highly compatible with Si because of its significantly high tensile strength. In order to attain commercial proficiency, there is a need to develop techniques for large-area graphene manufacturing with high reproducibility along with cost minimization. Graphene reduces the reflectance of solar cells by 20% which in turn enhances the efficiency of the solar cells by the same amount. Highly efficient solar cells are the requirement of the modern societies because of high power requirements that could not be fulffiled with the tradition energy resources, protection of environment through reduction of pollution. Development of highly demanding solar cells is a requirement that is endorsed by all the governments globally