Large-scale synthesis of few-layer graphene from magnesium and different carbon sources and its application in dye-sensitized solar cells

Lidong Wang; Bing Wei; Pei Dong; Qinghua Miao; Zheng Liu; Fubiao Xu; Jingjie Wu; Jun Lou; Robert Vajtai; Weidong Fei

doi:10.1016/j.matdes.2015.12.075

Large-scale synthesis of few-layer graphene from magnesium and different carbon sources and its application in dye-sensitized solar cells

Lidong Wang, Bing Wei, Pei Dong, Qinghua Miao, Zheng Liu, Fubiao Xu, Jingjie Wu, Jun Lou, Robert Vajtai, Weidong Fei^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

36 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) method to synthesize few-layer graphene (FLG) from magnesium and different carbon sources is demonstrated. These carbon sources include CaCO₃, 3MgCO₃·Mg(OH)₂·3H₂O, glucose, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). FLG produced by SHS method has a 3D porous structure with a special nanocrystallinity, and a low amount of defects. This fast, energy saving and low cost method is competitive as a candidate for industrial production of graphene for a wide range of applications. It is found that CaCO₃ are superior to others among these starting materials according to DSC properties. The dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) with a FLG (produced from CaCO3) counter electrode (CE) achieves a power conversion efficiency higher than that obtained with a reference DSC using a Pt counter electrode. The charge transfer resistance of FLG DSC is 0.13Ωcm², which is more than thirty times lower than that of the DSC having a Pt counter electrode. SHS FLG has been demonstrated to be a promising alternative counter electrode in DSC.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	462-470
Number of pages	9
Journal	Materials and Design
Volume	92
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2015.12.075
Publication status	Published - Feb 15 2016
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier Ltd.

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

General Materials Science
Mechanics of Materials
Mechanical Engineering

Keywords

Dye-sensitized solar cells
Few-layer graphene
Self-propagating high-temperature synthesis

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10.1016/j.matdes.2015.12.075

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title = "Large-scale synthesis of few-layer graphene from magnesium and different carbon sources and its application in dye-sensitized solar cells",

abstract = "A self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) method to synthesize few-layer graphene (FLG) from magnesium and different carbon sources is demonstrated. These carbon sources include CaCO3, 3MgCO3·Mg(OH)2·3H2O, glucose, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). FLG produced by SHS method has a 3D porous structure with a special nanocrystallinity, and a low amount of defects. This fast, energy saving and low cost method is competitive as a candidate for industrial production of graphene for a wide range of applications. It is found that CaCO3 are superior to others among these starting materials according to DSC properties. The dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) with a FLG (produced from CaCO3) counter electrode (CE) achieves a power conversion efficiency higher than that obtained with a reference DSC using a Pt counter electrode. The charge transfer resistance of FLG DSC is 0.13Ωcm2, which is more than thirty times lower than that of the DSC having a Pt counter electrode. SHS FLG has been demonstrated to be a promising alternative counter electrode in DSC.",

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author = "Lidong Wang and Bing Wei and Pei Dong and Qinghua Miao and Zheng Liu and Fubiao Xu and Jingjie Wu and Jun Lou and Robert Vajtai and Weidong Fei",

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AU - Wang, Lidong

AU - Wei, Bing

AU - Dong, Pei

AU - Miao, Qinghua

AU - Liu, Zheng

AU - Xu, Fubiao

AU - Wu, Jingjie

AU - Lou, Jun

AU - Vajtai, Robert

AU - Fei, Weidong

PY - 2016/2/15

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N2 - A self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) method to synthesize few-layer graphene (FLG) from magnesium and different carbon sources is demonstrated. These carbon sources include CaCO3, 3MgCO3·Mg(OH)2·3H2O, glucose, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). FLG produced by SHS method has a 3D porous structure with a special nanocrystallinity, and a low amount of defects. This fast, energy saving and low cost method is competitive as a candidate for industrial production of graphene for a wide range of applications. It is found that CaCO3 are superior to others among these starting materials according to DSC properties. The dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) with a FLG (produced from CaCO3) counter electrode (CE) achieves a power conversion efficiency higher than that obtained with a reference DSC using a Pt counter electrode. The charge transfer resistance of FLG DSC is 0.13Ωcm2, which is more than thirty times lower than that of the DSC having a Pt counter electrode. SHS FLG has been demonstrated to be a promising alternative counter electrode in DSC.

AB - A self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) method to synthesize few-layer graphene (FLG) from magnesium and different carbon sources is demonstrated. These carbon sources include CaCO3, 3MgCO3·Mg(OH)2·3H2O, glucose, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). FLG produced by SHS method has a 3D porous structure with a special nanocrystallinity, and a low amount of defects. This fast, energy saving and low cost method is competitive as a candidate for industrial production of graphene for a wide range of applications. It is found that CaCO3 are superior to others among these starting materials according to DSC properties. The dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) with a FLG (produced from CaCO3) counter electrode (CE) achieves a power conversion efficiency higher than that obtained with a reference DSC using a Pt counter electrode. The charge transfer resistance of FLG DSC is 0.13Ωcm2, which is more than thirty times lower than that of the DSC having a Pt counter electrode. SHS FLG has been demonstrated to be a promising alternative counter electrode in DSC.

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KW - Self-propagating high-temperature synthesis

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Large-scale synthesis of few-layer graphene from magnesium and different carbon sources and its application in dye-sensitized solar cells

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Keywords

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