TY - GEN
T1 - All-carbon composite for photovoltaics
AU - Tan, Alvin T.L.
AU - Tung, Vincent C.
AU - Kim, Jaemyung
AU - Huang, Jen Hsien
AU - Tevis, Ian
AU - Chu, Chih Wei
AU - Stupp, Samuel I.
AU - Huang, Jiaxing
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (CMMI 1130407). J.H. is an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow. J.K. gratefully acknowledges support from the Ryan Fellowship and the Northwestern University International Institute for Nanotechnology. A.C.L.T. and V.C.T. thanks Initiative for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern (ISEN) for support.
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Graphitic nanomaterials such as graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNT), and C 60 fullerenes are promising materials for energy applications because of their extraordinary electrical and optical properties. However, graphitic materials are not readily dispersible in water. Strategies to fabricate all-carbon nanocomposites typically involve covalent linking or surface functionalization, which breaks the conjugated electronic networks or contaminates functional carbon surfaces. Here, we demonstrate a facile surfactant-free strategy to create such all-carbon composites. Fullerenes, unfunctionalized single walled carbon nanotubes, and graphene oxide sheets can be conveniently co-assembled in water, resulting in a stable colloidal dispersion amenable to thin film processing. The thin film composite can be made conductive by mild thermal heating. Photovoltaic devices fabricated using the all-carbon composite as the active layer demonstrated an on-off ratio of nearly 10 6, an open circuit voltage of 0.59V, and a power conversion efficiency of 0.21%. This photoconductive and photovoltaic response is unprecedented among all-carbon based materials. Therefore, this surfactant-free, aqueous based approach to making all-carbon composites is promising for applications in optoelectronic devices.
AB - Graphitic nanomaterials such as graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNT), and C 60 fullerenes are promising materials for energy applications because of their extraordinary electrical and optical properties. However, graphitic materials are not readily dispersible in water. Strategies to fabricate all-carbon nanocomposites typically involve covalent linking or surface functionalization, which breaks the conjugated electronic networks or contaminates functional carbon surfaces. Here, we demonstrate a facile surfactant-free strategy to create such all-carbon composites. Fullerenes, unfunctionalized single walled carbon nanotubes, and graphene oxide sheets can be conveniently co-assembled in water, resulting in a stable colloidal dispersion amenable to thin film processing. The thin film composite can be made conductive by mild thermal heating. Photovoltaic devices fabricated using the all-carbon composite as the active layer demonstrated an on-off ratio of nearly 10 6, an open circuit voltage of 0.59V, and a power conversion efficiency of 0.21%. This photoconductive and photovoltaic response is unprecedented among all-carbon based materials. Therefore, this surfactant-free, aqueous based approach to making all-carbon composites is promising for applications in optoelectronic devices.
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U2 - 10.1557/opl.2011.1368
DO - 10.1557/opl.2011.1368
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:83755183976
SN - 9781605113210
T3 - Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings
SP - 67
EP - 73
BT - Functional Two-Dimensional Layered Materials - From Graphene to Topological Insulators
T2 - 2011 MRS Spring Meeting
Y2 - 25 April 2011 through 29 April 2011
ER -