Application and Purification of Carbon Nanotubes in Dye-sensitized Solar Cells

College of Arizona technology, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, 30000, China

^* Corresponding author: liuxc@tzc.edu.cn

Abstract

With the global energy consumption steadily rising, seeking alternative energy sources has emerged as a shared objective among nations worldwide. The emergence and advancement of carbon nanotubes have introduced fresh perspectives to the domain of pollution-free and renewable solar cells, garnering significant attention in recent times. Currently, the application of carbon nanotubes in solar cells is not yet mature. This paper introduces the special one-dimensional structure and excellent conductivity of carbon nanotubes, which make them an ideal material for constructing photovoltaic cells. The paper explores how carbon nanotubes are utilized in dye-sensitized solar cells and analyzes three methods of carbon nanotube purification: hydrochloric acid purification, nitric acid purification, and ultrasonic filtration. Research shows that carbon nanotubes have great development prospects in the field of dye-sensitized cells. Introducing dye-sensitized solar cells can effectively improve conversion efficiency. However, the instability and difficulty in sealing of liquid electrolytes limit their application. Solid electrolytes that can avoid these shortcomings are still generally lacking in efficiency. This paper looks forward to future researchers developing more efficient and mature applications of carbon nanotubes in the direction of solid electrolytes, so that carbon nanotubes can achieve higher conversion rates and realize large-scale applications after introducing dye-sensitized solar cells, benefiting human society.