Improving the Electrical Conductivity of Reduced Graphene Oxide Transparent Electrodes for Photovoltaics

We have synthesized reduced graphene oxide (rGO) from graphene oxide (GO) by a novel safe low-temperature chemical method using hydroiodic acid (HI) and L-ascorbic acid (L-AA). The produced rGO films showed uniformity and transparency over 90% in the visible spectrum. While HI and L-AA are effective reductants separately, the combination of them resulted in rGO films improved electrical conductivity up to 1115 S/m. The high conductivity and transparency of the synthesized rGO thin films make them a promising candidate for transparent conductive electrodes (TCEs) in photovoltaics.