Realization of chemically derived graphene sheets/hole-trapping conducting polymer composites for the development of polymer solar cells

A continuously growing interest in graphene can be attributed to its exceptional electronic properties. Among the most interesting topics in nanomaterial science [1,2], here, we present a reliable approach to prepare polymer solar cells using soluble chemically derived few-layer graphene sheets (FGSs) as a component of the transparent electrode [3,4]. FGSs were chemically altered in a two steps process which involved attaching covalent fluorine followed by an exposure of GSs to an aliphatic amine at the room temperature to obtain FGSs with improved solubility [4]. Resulting product, transparent few-layer graphene sheets with an average thickness of about 0.7–0.9 nm, as evidenced from scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and UV-Vis data have been used as part of the anode in a polymer solar cell demonstrating an overall power conversion efficiency of about 0.75%. Amine modified graphene sheets, prepared in a cost effective and straightforward approach, is expected to be a prospective hole acceptor material for the development of polymer photovoltaic devices.