All carbon nanotube fiber electrode-based dye-sensitized photovoltaic wire

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been recently spun into macroscopic fiber, in which CNTs are highly aligned along the axial direction, providing excellent mechanical and electrical properties for a wide variety of applications. One CNT fiber adsorbed with dye molecules functions as working electrode, while another CNT fiber is used as counter electrode. Two fiber electrodes are twined to produce the desired photovoltaic wire with high promise in many applications. In particular, this photovoltaic wire can be woven into textiles or integrated into various flexible equipment which remains challenging to the conventional planar solar cells.