Advances in Graphene-based Materials for Dye-sensitized Solar Cell Components, Electronic Devices and Prospective Applications: A Critical Review

The investigation of a Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC) as an alternative approach to the conventional photovoltaic cell (silicon-based) is attracting remarkable attention recently. This stems from the excellent optical properties of graphene, such as impressive transparency, conductance in near-infrared and visible light spectrums, along with its thermochemical stability, as reported in the literature. However, the main limitation of graphene production is the lack of suitable methods for its industrial-scale synthesis. Consequently, the research on industrial applications of graphene development and understanding of how to pragmatize existing theoretical approaches are still ongoing in the related research domain. This is exemplified in single, few, and adhesive layer mechanical cleavage graphene methods, which are not yet practicable, as these methods will restrict the chance for scaling up. These limitations and inadequate reviews on graphene development impelled the authors to compile the advances in graphene synthesis, properties, recent applications, and future directions. The mechanical exfoliation synthesis technique delivers quality graphene films sized from 5 to 10 mu m. Graphene-TiO2 hybridization was also found to possess efficiency acclivity as high as 39%. This review provides significant implications for a better understanding of graphene performance indicators and insight for future research in photovoltaic or optical modulation devices.