Nanowire-modified graphene and methods of making and using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10109752-B2
Application number	US-201314647422-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2013
Priority date	Nov 26, 2012
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

A transparent electrode can include a graphene sheet on a substrate, a layer including a conductive polymer disposed over the graphene sheet, and a plurality of semiconducting nanowires, such as ZnO nanowires, disposed over the layer including the conductive polymer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transparent electrode comprising:
a graphene sheet on a substrate;
an interlayer including a conductive polymer disposed over the graphene sheet wherein the interlayer includes a polythiophene, the interlayer modifying the graphene to enhance chemical compatibility between the graphene and a semiconducting nanowire while maintaining the graphene's electrical and structural properties; and
a plurality of semiconducting nanowires disposed over the interlayer.

2. The transparent electrode of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of semiconducting nanowires are substantially parallel to one another.

3. The transparent electrode of claim 2 , wherein the long axes of plurality of semiconducting nanowires are substantially perpendicular to the graphene sheet.

4. The transparent electrode of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of semiconducting nanowires comprise ZnO.

5. A device comprising the transparent electrode of claim 1 , further comprising a photoactive material disposed over the plurality of semiconducting nanowires.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the photoactive material includes semiconductor nanocrystals or P3HT.

7. The device of claim 5 , further comprising a second electrode deposited over the photoactive material.

8. A method of making a transparent electrode comprising:
providing a graphene sheet on a substrate;
depositing an interlayer including a conductive polymer disposed over the graphene sheet wherein the interlayer includes a polythiophene; and
growing a plurality of semiconducting nanowires over the interlayer and modifying the graphene to enhance chemical compatibility between the graphene and a semiconducting nanowire while maintaining the graphene's electrical and structural properties.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein depositing the interlayer includes spin-casting.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein growing the plurality of semiconducting nanowires over the interlayer includes a hydrothermal deposition.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of semiconducting nanowires comprise ZnO.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the interlayer includes a polythiophene derivative.

13. A method of making a device including the method of claim 8 , further comprising depositing a photoactive material disposed over the plurality of semiconducting nanowires.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the photoactive material includes semiconductor nanocrystals or P3HT.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising depositing a second electrode over the photoactive material.

16. A photovoltaic device comprising
a graphene sheet on a substrate;
an interlayer including a conductive polymer disposed over the graphene sheet wherein the interlayer includes a polythiophene, the interlayer modifying the graphene to enhance chemical compatibility between the graphene and a semiconducting nanowire while maintaining the graphene's electrical and structural properties; and
a plurality of semiconducting nanowires disposed over the interlayer.

17. The photovoltaic device of claim 16 , further comprising a photoactive material disposed over the plurality of semiconducting nanowires.

18. The photovoltaic device of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of semiconducting nanowires comprise ZnO.

19. A method of generating electricity, comprising illuminating the photovoltaic device of claim 16 .

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology

Inventors

• Park Hyesung
• Chang Sehoon
• Kong Jing
• Gradecak Silvija

Classifications

• H01L31/1884

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L51/0037

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L51/442

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L2031/0344

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L31/0296

  Electricity · mapped topic