TRANSPARENT ELECTRODE WITH A COMPOSITE LAYER OF A GRAPHENE LAYER AND NANOPARTICLES

• US 20190326064A1
• Filed: 04/24/2018
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
• Original Assignee: Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
• Inventors: MAAROUF, Ahmed A., ELSAYED, Khaled Abdelsabour Mohamed
• Granted Patent: US 11,117,801 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/186 by chemical vapour deposition [CVD]
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/01 on temporary substrates, e.g. substrates subsequently removed by etching
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/0245 by etching with a plasma
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/0254 Physical treatment to alter the texture of the surface, e.g. scratching or polishing
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/26 Deposition of carbon only
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/342 Boron nitride
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/20 Light-sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/2013 the electrolyte comprising ionic liquids, e.g. alkyl imidazolium iodide
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/2045 comprising a semiconductor electrode comprising elements of the fourth group of the Periodic Table with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0224 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022425 for solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/022466 made of transparent conductive layers, e.g. TCO, ITO layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/542 Dye sensitized solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/734 Fullerenes, i.e. graphene-based structures, such as nanohorns, nanococoons, nanoscrolls or fullerene-like structures, e.g. WS2 or MoS2 chalcogenide nanotubes, planar C3N4, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/843 Gas phase catalytic growth, i.e. chemical vapor deposition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/948 Energy storage/generating using nanostructure, e.g. fuel cell, battery

Abstract

A transparent electrode with a transparent substrate and a composite layer disposed thereon, wherein the composite layer includes a graphene layer and a plurality of nanoparticles, wherein the nanoparticles are embedded in the graphene layer and extend through a thickness of the graphene layer, and wherein the plurality of nanoparticles are in direct contact with the transparent substrate and a gap is present between the graphene layer and the transparent substrate.

Claims

1. A transparent electrode comprising:

a transparent substrate; and

a composite layer disposed on the transparent substrate, wherein the composite layer comprises

a graphene layer and a plurality of nanoparticles, wherein the nanoparticles are embedded in the graphene layer and extend through a thickness of the graphene layer,

wherein at least a portion of the plurality of nanoparticles are in direct contact with the transparent substrate and a gap is present between the graphene layer and the transparent substrate.

2. The transparent electrode of claim 1, wherein a ratio of the thickness of the graphene layer to an average diameter of the plurality of nanoparticles is 1:

1.5 to 1;

10.

3. The transparent electrode of claim 1, wherein the plurality of nanoparticles are at least one selected from the group consisting of a boron nitride nanotube, a boron nitride fullerene, a titanium oxide nanotube, and a titanium oxide fullerene.

4. The transparent electrode of claim 1, wherein the plurality of nanoparticles are boron nitride nanotubes with an average diameter of 3-10 nm.

5. The transparent electrode of claim 1, wherein a morphology of the plurality of nanoparticles is at least one selected from the group consisting of a tubular morphology, a spherical morphology, an elliptical morphology, and an oblong morphology.

6. The transparent electrode of claim 1,

wherein the gap defines a distance between the graphene layer and the transparent substrate, and

wherein an average size of the gap is 0.1-10 nm.

7. The transparent electrode of claim 1, wherein the composite layer further comprises a p-type dopant, which is dispersed in the graphene layer.

8. The transparent electrode of claim 7, wherein the p-type dopant is diborane.

9. The transparent electrode of claim 1, wherein the composite layer further comprises an n-type dopant, which is dispersed in the graphene layer.

10. The transparent electrode of claim 9, wherein the n-type dopant is ammonia.

11. The transparent electrode of claim 1, wherein the composite layer further comprises quantum dots.

12. The transparent electrode of claim 1, wherein the transparent substrate is at least one selected from the group consisting of quartz, glass, polymethylmethacrylate, polydimethylsiloxane, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyacrylate, polymethacrylate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethernitrile, polyethersulfone, polystyrene, polycarbonate, styrene acrylonitrile, styrene methyl methacrylate, and methyl methacrylate butadiene styrene.

13. The transparent electrode of claim 1, wherein the composite layer has an electron mobility of at least 30,000 cm²/(V.s) at a temperature of 20-30°

C.

14. The transparent electrode of claim 1, wherein the composite layer has a light transmittance of at least 95% when exposed to a light radiation with a wavelength of 300 to 1,000 nm.

15. A solar cell comprising:

the transparent electrode of claim 1;

a cathode; and

an electrolyte arranged between the transparent electrode and the cathode, wherein the transparent electrode is in electric communication with the cathode through the electrolyte.

16. A method of fabricating the transparent electrode of claim 1, comprising:

depositing the plurality of nanoparticles on a surface of a CVD substrate;

heating the CVD substrate and said nanoparticles to a temperature of at least 900°

C. in a sub-atmospheric pressure;

contacting a gaseous mixture comprising methane and hydrogen with said nanoparticles and the CVD substrate, wherein hydrogen catalyzes a reaction between methane and the CVD substrate to deposit carbon atoms on the surface of the CVD substrate thereby forming the composite layer, wherein the nanoparticles are embedded in the graphene layer and extend through a thickness of the graphene layer;

cooling the CVD substrate and the composite layer;

disposing the transparent substrate on the composite layer;

removing the CVD substrate with an etchant thereby fabricating the transparent electrode, wherein said nanoparticles are in direct contact with the transparent substrate and a gap is present between the graphene layer and the transparent substrate.

17. The method of claim 16,

wherein the CVD substrate is a copper substrate, and

wherein the etchant is a ferric chloride solution.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

plasma treating the transparent substrate before the disposing.

19. The method of claim 16,

wherein the gaseous mixture further comprises diborane, and

wherein the composite layer is a p-type semiconductor.

20. The method of claim 16,

wherein the gaseous mixture further comprises ammonia, and

wherein the composite layer is an n-type semiconductor.