Recent Applications of Graphene in Dye-sensitized Solar Cells

Graphene oxide doping in tropical almond (terminalia catappa L.) fruits extract mediated green synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles for improved DSSC power conversion efficiency

The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) device depends on its semiconductor characteristics. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles are a semiconductor material commonly used in the DSSC device whose characteristics depend on the synthesis process. There are many routes to synthesize TiO2, however, they typically involve hazardous approaches, which may cause risk to the environment. Green synthesis is an environmentally friendly alternative method using ecological solvents that eliminates toxic waste and reduces energy consumption. In this work, tropical almond (Terminalia catappa L.) was used as a natural capping agent in the green synthesis to control the growth of TiO2. In addition, graphene oxide (GO) was used as a dopant to increase the performance of DSSC device. The results are convincing, in which the addition of 0.0017 % GO doping in tropical almond extract mediated green synthesis of TiO2 improved the PCE from 0.85 % to 1.72 %. These results suggest that GO-modified TiO2 nanoparticles green synthesized using tropical almond extract have great potential in the fabrication of DSSC devices with good PCE, low cost, and low environmental impact.

Highly stable and conductive PEDOT:PSS/graphene nanocomposites for biosensor applications in aqueous medium

A PEDOT:PSS/GNP electrode post-treated with H₂SO₄ stabilizes GNPs on an FTO substrate and improves the aqueous sensitivity and stability of dopamine detection.

Dye-sensitized solar cells based on cobalt-containing room temperature ionic liquid redox shuttles

An imidazolium-type co-containing ionic liquid, [BMIm]₂[Co(NCS)₄], was synthesized and applied as a redox shuttle for dye-sensitized solar cells.

Peptide interactions with zigzag edges in graphene

Recognition and manipulation of graphene edges enable the control of physical properties of graphene-based devices. Recently, the authors have identified a peptide that preferentially binds to graphene edges from a combinatorial peptide library. In this study, the authors examine the functional basis for the edge binding peptide using experimental and computational methods. The effect of amino acid substitution, sequence context, and solution pH value on the binding of the peptide to graphene has been investigated. The N-terminus glutamic acid residue plays a key role in recognizing and binding to graphene edges. The protonation, substitution, and positional context of the glutamic acid residue impact graphene edge-binding. Our findings provide insights into the binding mechanisms and the design of peptides for recognizing and functionalizing graphene edges.