Recent progress in solar cells based on carbon nanomaterials

Abstract

The enormous demand for energy and the simultaneous exhaustion of fossil fuels have led to thorough research on energy-related technologies. In this regard, the high-efficiency of solar energy can aid in accelerating the expansion of renewable energy sources. Recently, intensive and extensive investigations on advanced materials for solar cells (SCs) have been demonstrated, which are highly required to overcome intrinsic limitations of conventional materials. Among them, carbon-based nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, fullerene, and nanohybrids have been utilized as the electrodes, transport layers, active layers, or intermediate (interfacial) layers of SCs owing to their unique electrical, material, and mechanical properties. Notably, the incorporation of carbon nanomaterials into the various types of SCs can enhance the potentials of photovoltaic technologies with high efficiency and stability. This review provides an overview of the recent progress achieved in carbon-based SCs, particularly relating to the development of SCs in terms of efficiency and stability. Moreover, carbon-based SCs with silicon, III-V, dye-sensitized, metal-oxide, perovskite, organic, quantum dot, and hybrid materials are demonstrated for advanced photovoltaic technologies. The future challenges and outlook of carbon-based SCs are discussed in terms of next-generation solar energy technologies. We believe that this review provides a comprehensive understanding of the recent progress in highly efficient and stable carbon-based SCs for their applications in energy harvesting technologies.