Large, Solution-Processable Graphene Quantum Dots as Light Absorbers for Photovoltaics

Graphenes have very attractive properties for photovoltaics. Their tunable bandgap and large optical absorptivity are desirable for efficient light harvesting. Their electronic levels and interfacing with other materials for charge transfer processes can both be tuned with well-developed carbon chemistry. Graphenes have also been shown to have very large charge mobilities, which could be useful for charge collection in solar cells. In addition, they consist of elements abundant on Earth and are environmentally friendly. However, these important properties have not been taken advantage of because graphenes that are large enough to be useful for photovoltaics have extremely poor solubility and have a strong…