Carbon Nanotubes for Photovoltaics

Abstract

Recent developments show that the exceptional physical, optical, and electrical properties of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) have now caught the attention of the Photovoltaics (PV) industry. This chapter provides an updated and in-depth review of some of the most exciting and important developments in the application of CNTs in photovoltaics. The chapter begins with a discussion of the underlying properties of CNTs that make them promising for PV applications. A review of the literature on the application of CNTs in the photoactive layer of Silicon (Si)-based heterojunctions, as anchors for light harvesting materials in Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs) and as components of other organic solar cells (OPVs), is then presented. Findings portend the promise of CNTs in bridging the gap between the two classes of solar cells currently in the market. Since the technology is in its early stages, it is generally limited by a general lack of understanding of CNTs and their adequate growth mechanisms.