Intertwined aligned carbon nanotube fiber based dye-sensitized solar cells

Nano Lett. 2012 May 9;12(5):2568-72. doi: 10.1021/nl300799d. Epub 2012 Apr 13.

Abstract

Metal wires suffer from corrosion in fiber-shaped dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). We report herein that stable, ultrastrong, and highly flexible aligned carbon nanotube fibers can be used not only as catalytic counter electrodes but also as conductive materials to support dye-loaded TiO(2) nanoparticles in DSSCs. The power conversion efficiency of this fiber solar cell can achieve 2.94%. These solar power fibers, exhibiting power conversion efficiency independent of incident light angle and cell length, can be woven into textiles via a convenient weaving technology.