Ambient air synthesis of multi-layer CVD graphene films for low-cost, efficient counter electrode material in dye-sensitized solar cells

Seo, DH; Batmunkh, M; Fang, J; Murdock, AT; Yick, S; Han, Z; Shearer, CJ; Macdonald, TJ; Lawn, M; Bendavid, A; Shapter, JG; (Ken) Ostrikov, K

Ambient air synthesis of multi-layer CVD graphene films for low-cost, efficient counter electrode material in dye-sensitized solar cells

Seo, DH Batmunkh, M Fang, J

Murdock, AT Yick, S Han, Z Shearer, CJ Macdonald, TJ Lawn, M Bendavid, A Shapter, JG (Ken) Ostrikov, K

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: FlatChem, 2018, 8 pp. 1 - 8
Issue Date:: 2018-03-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Seo, DH	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Batmunkh, M	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Fang, J https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2214-2902	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Murdock, AT	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Yick, S	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Han, Z	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Shearer, CJ	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Macdonald, TJ	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Lawn, M	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Bendavid, A	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Shapter, JG	en_US
dc.contributor.author	(Ken) Ostrikov, K	en_US
dc.date.issued	2018-03-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	FlatChem, 2018, 8 pp. 1 - 8	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/128209
dc.description.abstract	© 2018 Elsevier B.V. Graphene holds great promise as a substitute counter electrode (CE) material to replace the conventional Pt in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). However, lengthy chemical processing with hazardous chemicals, high production cost and the poor quality of the graphene flakes produced impedes their utilization as a CE material in DSSCs. Herein, we demonstrate a low-cost synthesis of multi-layer graphene films using a thermal chemical vapour deposition (CVD) process in an ambient-air environment without expensive compressed gases while using a renewable source namely soybean oil. Utilization of our low-cost graphene film in DSSCs exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity and high electrical conductivity, and thus delivers superior photovoltaic (PV) efficiency compared to the devices fabricated with graphene films produced from commonly adopted chemical methods. Even though no additional treatments such as heteroatom doping are applied, our low-cost graphene showed great promise in DSSCs. Further enhancement in the efficiency of our multi-layer graphene film based DSSCs is readily achievable by applying simple functional treatments (for example SOCl2). Finally, material cost analysis of our multi-layer graphene film compared to commercial Pt electrode suggests that we can reduce the CE material cost by five fold, making our CVD graphene film a realistic option for application in commercial DSSC systems.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	FlatChem	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.flatc.2018.02.002	en_US
dc.title	Ambient air synthesis of multi-layer CVD graphene films for low-cost, efficient counter electrode material in dye-sensitized solar cells	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	8	en_US
utslib.for	0303 Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry	en_US
utslib.for	0912 Materials Engineering	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	8	en_US

Abstract:

© 2018 Elsevier B.V. Graphene holds great promise as a substitute counter electrode (CE) material to replace the conventional Pt in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). However, lengthy chemical processing with hazardous chemicals, high production cost and the poor quality of the graphene flakes produced impedes their utilization as a CE material in DSSCs. Herein, we demonstrate a low-cost synthesis of multi-layer graphene films using a thermal chemical vapour deposition (CVD) process in an ambient-air environment without expensive compressed gases while using a renewable source namely soybean oil. Utilization of our low-cost graphene film in DSSCs exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity and high electrical conductivity, and thus delivers superior photovoltaic (PV) efficiency compared to the devices fabricated with graphene films produced from commonly adopted chemical methods. Even though no additional treatments such as heteroatom doping are applied, our low-cost graphene showed great promise in DSSCs. Further enhancement in the efficiency of our multi-layer graphene film based DSSCs is readily achievable by applying simple functional treatments (for example SOCl2). Finally, material cost analysis of our multi-layer graphene film compared to commercial Pt electrode suggests that we can reduce the CE material cost by five fold, making our CVD graphene film a realistic option for application in commercial DSSC systems.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/128209