There is intense interest in graphene in fields such as physics, chemistry, and materials science, among others. Interest in graphene's exceptional physical properties, chemical tunability, and potential for applications has generated thousands of publications and an accelerating pace of research, making review of such research timely. Here is an overview of the synthesis, properties, and applications of graphene and related materials (primarily, graphite oxide and its colloidal suspensions and materials made from them), from a materials science perspective.

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Graphene and Graphene Oxide: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) offer the possibilities to design solar cells with a large flexibility in shape, color, and transparency. DSC research groups have been established around the worl ...

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Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Polymer/layered silicate nanocomposites: a review from preparation to processing

2.3. Evaluation of Photocatalytic Water Splitting 6507 2.3.1. Photocatalytic Activity 6507 2.3.2. Photocatalytic Stability 6507 3. UV-Active Photocatalysts for Water Splitting 6507 3.1. d0 Metal Oxide Photocatalyts 6507 3.1.1. Ti-, Zr-Based Oxides 6507 3.1.2. Nb-, Ta-Based Oxides 6514 3.1.3. W-, Mo-Based Oxides 6517 3.1.4. Other d0 Metal Oxides 6518 3.2. d10 Metal Oxide Photocatalyts 6518 3.3. f0 Metal Oxide Photocatalysts 6518 3.4. Nonoxide Photocatalysts 6518 4. Approaches to Modifying the Electronic Band Structure for Visible-Light Harvesting 6519

Semiconductor-based Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation

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Honeycomb Carbon: A Review of Graphene

Transparent nickel selenide used as counter electrode in high efficient dye-sensitized solar cells

An upconversion luminescence powder TiO2:(Er3+, Yb3+) is prepared by a hydrothermal method and used to fabricate dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The TiO2:(Er3+, Yb3+) powder undergoes upconversion luminescence, converting infrared light which the dye can not absorb into visible light with wavelengths of 510–700 nm which the dye can absorb, increasing the photocurrent of the DSSC. TiO2:(Er3+, Yb3+) also acts as a p-type dopant, heightening the Fermi level of the oxide film, which increases the photovoltage of the DSSC. The best performance of the DSSC is found when the ratio of TiO2/luminescence powder is 1/3 in the luminescence layer. Under simulated solar irradiation of 100 mW cm−2 (AM 1.5), the DSSC containing TiO2:(Er3+, Yb3+) doping achieves a light-to-electricity energy conversion efficiency of 7.28% compared with 6.41% for the undoped DSSC.

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Application of upconversion luminescence in dye-sensitized solar cells

Influence of ionic additives NaI/I2 on the properties of polymer gel electrolyte and performance of quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

A novel intercalated nanomaterial HLaNb 2 O 7 /(Pt, Fe 2 O 3 ) was fabricated by successive intercalated reaction of HLaNb 2 O 7 with [Pt(NH 3 ) 4 ]Cl 2 aqueous solution, with n-C 6 H 13 NH 2 /C 2 H 5 OH organic solution, and with [Fe3(CH3C02)7(OH)(H20) 2 ]NO 3 aqueous solution, followed by UV light irradiation. The intercalation of n-C 6 H 13 NH 2 resulted in the formation of supramolecule HLaNb 2 O 7 ·C 6 H 13 NH 2 and the interlayer gallery expansion of HLaNb 2 O 7 . HLaNb 2 O 7 /(Pt, Fe 2 O 3 ) possessed a gallery height of less than 0.5 nm and specific surface area of 24.46 m 2 /g, which indicated the formation of an intercalated nanomaterial and a porous material. HLaNb 2 O 7 /Fe 2 O 3 and HLaNb 2 O 7 /(Pt, Fe 2 O 3 ) showed a broad absorption over 450-600 nm, which indicated photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic activity of HLaNb 2 O 7 /Fe 2 O 3 intercalated material was superior to that of unsupported Fe 2 O 3 and was enhanced by the co-incorporation of Pt. With use of HLaNb 2 O 7 /(Pt, Fe 2 O 3 ) as a catalyst, the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution was more than 110 cm 3 ·h -1 ·g -1 in the presence of methanol as a sacrificial agent under irradiation with λ > 290 nm from a 100-W mercury lamp. Furthermore, the catalyst showed photocatalytic activity even under visible light irradiation.

Jianming Lin

Papers

Transparent nickel selenide used as counter electrode in high efficient dye-sensitized solar cells

Application of upconversion luminescence in dye-sensitized solar cells

Influence of ionic additives NaI/I2 on the properties of polymer gel electrolyte and performance of quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells

Fabrication and Photocatalytic Properties of HLaNb2O7/(Pt, Fe2O3) Pillared Nanomaterial

Quasi-solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells based on a sol–gel organic–inorganic composite electrolyte containing an organic iodide salt