Few weeks ago, the first solar cell with all its components made of carbon-based materials has been published in ACS Nano journal. The work has been developed by researchers in Standford University (USA), University of Rochester (USA) and Nankai University (China). Previously a solar cell with their active layer made using carbon materials was reported, but Zhenan Bao and her colleagues have fabricated this new cell with even their electrodes based on carbon as well. They replaced the silver and ITO (Indium tin oxide)
used in conventional electrodes with graphene and single-walled carbon nanotubes exhibiting extraordinary
electrical conductivity and light-absorption properties. For the active layer, the scientists used carbon
nanotubes and C60 derivatives.
The all-carbon cell absorbs near-infrared wavelengths of light, leading to a laboratory efficiency of less than 1 percent (0.0041 %). However, as the inventors says, there is still plenty of room for improvement that could lead in the future to reach >1 % efficiencies. The main contribution of this new cell is its potential as an alternative to the expensive materials
used in photovoltaic devices today, since the thin film prototype is made of carbon materials that can be coated from
solution, are low-cost and Earth-abundant.
