Single- and multi-walled carbon nanotubes for solar cell applications

Abstract

Emerging nanotechnologies have revealed carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as one of the best materials with immense potential. Considering the outstanding physical, mechanical, electrochemical, thermal, and optoelectronic properties of CNTs, extensive studies have been reported assessing their applications in several disciplines. This paper presents a broad review of the studies in the literature that address the contribution of CNTs in terms of their applications as different parts of solar cells such as photoelectrode, photoconductor, top and back electrode, replacement of indium tin oxide (ITO) as transparent conducting electrode (TCE) in a variety of photovoltaics such as silicon, organic, polymer and dye-sensitized with their subsequent efficiencies.