Graphene for Transparent Electrodes and Organic Electronic Devices - Organic Solar Cells: Materials and Device Physics - page 80

Chapter 4
Graphene for Transparent Electrodes
and Organic Electronic Devices

Xiangjian Wan, Guankui Long and Yongsheng Chen

Abstract Graphene has been regarded as a promising material in organic
electronics owing to its outstanding electronic, optical, thermal, and mechanical
properties. In this chapter, first, we summarize and discuss the application of
graphene as transparent electrode in organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells and organic
light emitting diodes (OLED). Improving the conductivity of graphene without
compromising the transparency and tuning its work function to match the interface
and/or active materials are proposed to focus on the future study for graphene-
based transparent electrode. Then, the application of graphene as acceptor material
in OPV has been addressed. The factors of size, energy level, and functionalization
of graphene should be considered first. Last, graphene-based all-carbon electronics
have been introduced, which indicates that graphene exhibits great potential for
fabricating the highly demanded all-carbon, flexible devices and electronics.

4.1 Introduction

Graphene, a single sheet composed of sp 2 -hybridized carbon, is regarded as the
basic building block of all dimensional graphitic materials; it can be stacked to
form 3D graphite, rolled to form 1D nanotubes, and wrapped to form 0D fuller-
enes. In recent years, graphene has been of great interests owing to its outstanding
electronic, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties [ 1 , 2 ]. Due to its unique and
superior

optical and electronic properties such as good transparency, high