Graphene for Flexible Photovoltaic Devices

Flexible photovoltaic devices (FPD’s) are emerging as next-generation technology in photovoltaic research. FPD’s have attracted great attention due to their broad potential applications, particularly in wearable devices, portable electronics, integrated textiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, transportation, and military. Existing technologies have improved efficiency and performance over the years; however, they primarily rely on rigid, brittle, costly, and chemically unstable electrodes. For FPD’s to become practical, there is a need for new materials that offer inherent flexibility without compromising mechanical and optical properties. Significant advances have been made in developing various aspects of FPD’s to enhance optical transmittance, mechanical stability, and chemical stability. Graphene has been recognized as an excellent material for flexible photovoltaic devices owing to its unique optical, electrical, and mechanical properties. The introduction of an inexpensive and abundant carbon-based material like graphene in making flexible, low-cost, transparent PV cells is promising. Nevertheless, the synthesis methods of graphene to achieve optimal performance remain complex. This paper provides a brief overview of recent developments in flexible photovoltaic devices utilizing graphene.